Determination of safety organochlorine and organophosphorus residual levels using gas chromatography in tomato from different governorates in Upper Egypt

Abstract

High persistent organochlorine (OC) insecticides are banned to be used in indoor. In some developing countries, they used for controlling vectors insects. Organophosphorus (OP) insecticides widely utilized to control which replaced OC occasionally. On the contrary, organophosphorus pesticides are widely used in the control of various insect pests of agricultural crops and fodder for animal production. In comparison with OC group, OP has highly toxic hazards and shortterm environmental degradation. Herein, we determine the organochlorine pesticide residues in tomato samples from various governorates in Upper Egypt. As a result, heptachlor-epoxide, dieldrin, aldrin, p, p'-DDE, and p, p'-DDT had the lowest residues in all tomato samples, with values of (0.61, 0.93, 1.38, 1.7, and 1.74 µg/ kg) for each pesticide residue, respectively, based on results of gas chromatography in tomato samples using the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) method. Further, heptachlor and methoxychlor was found to be the highest levels among the pesticide residues that detected (13.9 and 10.42 µg/ kg) respectively. For the OP insecticide residues, the collected samples of tomatoes from Assiut, New Valley, El-Minia and Sohag were no residues to be found. Further studies of continues monitoring OC and OP residues of pesticides in different ecosystems septically in table vegetables and fruit should be applied.