Abstract
The presence of pesticide residues in primary and derived agricultural products raises serious health concerns for consumers. The aim of this study was to assess the level of pesticide residues in commonly consumed fruits and vegetables in Kuwait. A total of 150 samples of different fresh vegetables and fruits were analyzed for the presence of 34 pesticides using the quick easy cheap effective rugged and safe (QuEChERS) multi-residue extraction, followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Pesticide residues above the maximum residue limits (MRL) were detected in 21% of the samples and 79% of the samples had no residues of the pesticides surveyed or contained residues below the MRL. Multiple residues were present in 40% of the samples with two to four pesticides, and four samples were contaminated with more than four pesticide residues. Of the pesticides investigated, 16 were detected, of which imidacloprid, deltamethrin, cypermethrin, malathion, acetamiprid, monocrotophos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, and diazinon exceeded their MRLs. Aldrin, an organochlorine pesticide, was detected in one apple sample, with residues below the MRL. The results indicate the occurrence of pesticide residues in commonly consumed fruits and vegetables in Kuwait, and pointed to an urgent need to develop comprehensive intervention measures to reduce the potential health risk to consumers. The need for the regular monitoring of pesticide residues and the sensitization of farmers to better pesticide safety practices, especially the need to adhere to recommended pre-harvest intervals is recommended.
Highlights
Pesticides are considered a vital component of modern farming, playing a major role in maintaning high agricultural productivity
Pesticide residues are present in all agro-ecosystems, but the real risk to human health is through exposure to residues in primary and derived agricultural products [3]
The objective of this study was to assess the levels of pesticide residues in commonly used fruits and vegetables in Kuwait for use as a reference for future monitoring
Summary
Pesticides are considered a vital component of modern farming, playing a major role in maintaning high agricultural productivity. In high-input intensive agricultural production systems, the widespread use of pesticides to manage pests has emerged as a dominant feature [1]. Reliance on pesticides is difficult to sustain because of unintended long-term adverse effects on the environment and human health in particular [2]. Various human health related concerns are associated with pesticides, ranging from short-term impacts such as headaches and nausea, to chronic impacts, such as various cancers, birth defects, infertility, and endocrine disruption [4,5]. In particular, are more endangered by short-term and chronic exposure to pesticides [6]
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