Pesticide Residues in the Organically Produced Food

Abstract

A basic aim of using chemical products for plant protection (pesticides) in farming is the quantity increase and quality improvement of agricultural crops. Pesticides are destined, inter alia, to control any kinds of pests, weeds, pathogenic organisms and other factors which cause plant damage. Therefore, the use of these substances, which have biocidal effects, is deliberately introduced on crops and get through them to people. In addition, a side effect of agrochemical treatments is their movement to the various components of the natural environment. Therefore, considering the benefits of agriculture chemization, one should also take into account, inter alia, the risk associated with the presence of pesticide residues in commercially available agri-food products. Although modern chemical plant protection products are designed in such a way as to selectively affect specific pests, pest groups, fungi, or weeds, without impacting other organisms (including humans), and the requirements on the toxicological safety placed at their registration are very stringent, there is always a risk that human exposure to pesticide residues in food products may constitute a potential danger to health. Risk assessment for the overall population and vulnerable populations (e.g. infants, children or pregnant women) takes place both at the stage of registration of the active substance, and subsequently in the monitoring and official food control. In the first case, this process involves a thorough evaluation of the results obtained in long-term toxicological tests on animals, in vitro and field studies. The result of this assessment is approval (or rejection) of the proposed MRL (Maximum Residue Level), identified on the basis of field studies in line with the Good Agricultural Practice, recommended by the manufacturer. In the second case, the risk assessment is carried out based on the results of research of the market products, while it is very important to conduct research properly – from sampling, through sample analysis in an accredited laboratory, to the result along with the associated uncertainty. In both cases, the essence of the risk assessment process is to compare the estimated, potential chronic and acute exposure to a pesticide (absorbed with food) with the designated reference values which are considered safe. A global scale of acute poisoning by plant protection chemicals is not exactly known and all data are based on estimates. In 1973, the first time the World Health Organization reported that there were 500 thousand cases of such poisoning a year. However in 2002,