Ozone microbubble treatment at various water temperatures for the removal of residual pesticides with negligible effects on the physical properties of lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

Abstract

In this study, the effects of ozone microbubbles (OMCB) treatment at various water temperatures on the removal of residual fenitrothion (FT) pesticides and on the physical properties of lettuce and cherry tomatoes was examined. The residual FT percentage in lettuce and cherry tomatoes was shown decreased by using higher water temperatures, particularly at 30 °C, resulting in a decrease within the range of 32% to 52%, after the 20-min treatment. In addition, bubbling OMCB treatment did not alter the color and pulling strength of lettuce and cherry tomatoes. These results indicate that bubbling OMCB treatment at 30 °C is a highly effective method for the removal of FT residues in lettuce and cherry tomatoes, with relatively little effect on crop quality. The bubbling OMCB has a potential of reducing the FT reduces on vegetables with no adverse effect on the sensory quality of vegetables.