Comparison of Different Home/Commercial Washing Strategies for Ten Typical Pesticide Residue Removal Effects in Kumquat, Spinach and Cucumber

Abstract

Home processing can reduce pesticide residues in agricultural products, and the common forms of treatment include washing, peeling, blanching, and cooking. In this study, the removal effects of tap water, micron calcium solution, alkaline electrolyzed water (AlEW), ozone water, active oxygen, and sodium bicarbonate on 10 typical pesticide residues in kumquat, cucumber, and spinach were investigated. The residue magnitudes were determined by chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS), combined with the QuEChERS pretreatment method. The model tests showed that the results of soaking and greenhouse were close. The removal effects of pesticide residues in kumquat and cucumber washing by alkaline electrolyzed water with a high pH value, micron calcium, and active oxygen solution were better than other washing solutions. The sodium bicarbonate solution, ozone water, and active oxygen solution were more effective in reducing pesticide residues in spinach than others. Active oxygen solution showed a better removal efficiency for the 10 pesticides than other treatments because of its alkalinity and oxidizability. Among the ten pesticides, pyrethroid pesticides had a higher removal rate. Additionally, chlorpyrifos were the most difficult to remove. For the majority of pesticides, the pesticide residue magnitudes showed a gradual reduction when increasing the washing time. The results indicated that alkaline solutions were effective for the reduction of pesticide residues when the washing time was longer than 15 min.

Urinary concentrations and determinants of pyrethroid metabolites in pregnant women from non-rural areas of Yunnan, China

“…Reduced urinary levels of PYR metabolites were associated with washing fruits and vegetables with soda or hot water, but not when washed with saltwater or water (data not shown). In accordance with previous reports, washing fruits or vegetables with an alkaline solutions can effectively reduce pesticides on the surface [26,27]. PYRs are hydrophobic organic compounds (with high log P values) [28] and difficult to be washed-off with salt water or water.…”

Effect of Talc Particle Size in Detergents for Fruits and Vegetables on the Ability to Remove Pesticide Residues

“…Consumers often use tap water or, worse, household chemicals designed and dedicated for other purposes. The result may be a very low efficiency of such a washing process 19 and likely the introduction of additional undesirable substances on the fruits’ and vegetables’ surface, leading to diarrhea or vomiting. 20 …”

“… 23 , 24 Fresh fruits and vegetables are often washed with tap water and then consumed directly. 19 However, due to the hydrophobic nature of many pesticides, tap water has a limited effect on their removal. 25 Therefore, scientists around the world are actively looking for chemicals to effectively remove pesticide residues from the surface of fruits and vegetables.…”

“…The effectiveness of tap water washing in removing 10 pesticide residues from cucumber was lower than 35%. 19 Washing for 20 min with a 2% active oxygen solution resulted in a loss of 40–63% of the 10 pesticides. Washing with a micron calcium solution for 20 min caused a greater loss of pesticides in cucumbers, and the removal efficiency was in the range of 35–86%.…”

Dissipation Dynamic And Processing Factor Of Myclobutanil In Tomato

“…Kong et al found that processing can effectively remove difenoconazole residues in tomatoes, in which washing and peeling can reduce the residue level by 99% (Kong et al 2012). Wu et al reported that processing of washing, juicing and cooking can effectively remove pesticide residues on the surface of kumquats, cucumbers and spinach (Wu et al 2019). The PF was ranged from 0.09 to 0.7.…”