Non-thermal plasma for elimination of pesticide residues in mango

Abstract

Abstract The effects of non-thermal plasma (NTP) on elimination of pesticide residues and on quality changes of mango (cv. Nam Dok Mai) were investigated. Varied flow rate of Ar gas (2, 5 and 8 L/min) and time dependent degradations of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin as a result of NTP treatments using a gliding arc (GA) discharge for 5 or 10 min were studied. Results showed that the NTP treatment for 5 min at 5 L/min Ar flow rate successfully decreased the concentrations of chorpyrifos by 74.0% and cypermetrin by 62.9%. There were significant (p ≤ 0.05) decreases in titratable acidity and total phenolic content and increases in carotenoid content for the treated mangoes. However, total soluble solid, color and texture parameters were not significantly different (p > 0.05). The emission signal of hydroxyl (OH ) radicals at 309 nm was also obtained to monitor that the system was working properly. Industrial relevance This study demonstrates the potential application of non-thermal plasma (NTP) as a way to eliminate pesticide residues and on quality changes in mango. A varied flow rate of Ar gas and time dependent degradation of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin were studied for NTP treatments produced using a gliding arc (GA) discharge. Our results have proved that the GA discharge NTP has the potential to be an effective method to ensure chemical safety not only for mangoes, but also for other types of postharvest produce. This system can be adapted for the industrial up-scale.