Quantification of 363 Pesticides in Leafy Vegetables (Dill, Rocket and Parsley) in the Turkey Market by Using QuEChERS with LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS

Abstract

Contamination of agricultural products with pesticide residues is a growing concern due to their adverse health effects and increasing worldwide usage of pesticides. In 2021 a total of 200 samples of green leafy vegetables, including 80 dill, 80 rocket and 40 parsley, purchased from greengrocer shops, markets and bazaars in Corum Province, Turkey, were monitored for pesticide residues. In green leafy vegetables, 363 pesticides were analyzed using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) sample preparation, followed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for 311 residues and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for 52 residues. The method was in-house validated at two fortification levels, and satisfactory recoveries and precisions were achieved for all residues. No quantifiable residues were found in 35% of the samples, whereas 43 residues belonging to 24 different chemical classes were detected in 130 green leafy vegetables. Among the green leafy vegetables, the highest occurrence frequency was recorded in the rocket, followed by dill and parsley. In 46% of the green leafy vegetables, the residue levels exceeded European Union Maximum Residue Levels (EU MRLs). The most frequently detected pesticides were pendimethalin (22.5%), diuron (38.7%) and pymetrozine (52.5%) in dill, rocket and parsley, respectively.