Different types of pesticide residues in foodstuffs

Abstract

Pesticide have contributed greatly to increase of yield in agriculture by controlling pests. The staggering of agriculture that has has been achieved so far has been driven by pesticide. It has negative impacts for the whole ecosystem by entering food residues. Food products were found to have contaminated 51 percent with pesticide residues were higher than the MRL. The present research was carried out to measure the concentration and awareness of pesticide residues in food stuffs and to quantify the possible health hazards linked with pesticide residue. GC-ECD/NPD was used to estimate the pesticide residues. Analysis of four common organophosphate pesticides chloropyriphos, dimethoate, profenofos, quinalphos and phorate are widely applied on fruits and vegetables was carried out. Along with this residue levels of four pyrethroid and carbamate in fruits and vegetables samples were analysed. In order to analyze the residue levels in major foodstuffs in Kerala, samples of fruits and vegetables have been collected from markets located in Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod.