Pesticide residue monitoring in the EuropeanUnion Agricultural Sector via modern analyticaltechniques.A review on Organophosphates

Abstract

Organophosphate exposure, via foodproducts circulated within the EU member states, is monitored byvarious researchers and the results are provided to theircorresponding national authorities or to official European monitoringbodies. Different analytical methods for the detection of pesticideresidues in food products are applied, although the most preferablemethod used lately in private or educational laboratories is theQuEChERS method (a solid phase extraction technique) whereas theultra-high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system isgradually gaining ground in regard to pesticide residue trace analysis.This review focused on analyzing, from collected published data, thepreferred methods for the detection of organophosphate pesticideresidues in food products from the European Union AgriculturalSector. Even though a European legislation exists and applies strictguidelines, regulations and even bans, in order to reduce the use ofpersistent pesticides and to encourage the development of targetspecific pesticides, this review shows the current state for monitoringand detecting pesticide residues in general, as well as their possibledrawbacks and possible active solutions for pesticide monitoring intoday’s agriculture sector. In addition, results in the existing literatureare sufficient to demonstrate the difference in efficiency formonitoring and detecting organophosphate pesticide residues,however, more studies are needed to evaluate the available analyticaltechniques so as to strengthen the existing literature and to confirmthe existing data.