Rapid Bioassay of Pesticide Residues (RBPR) on Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

A RBPR (Rapid Bioassay for Pesticide Residues) method is developed by TARI in integrating the AChE test and B.t. test to screen the residues of acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting (neurotoxic) insecticides, EBDC's (ethylene bisdithiocarbamates, the ETU-producing chemicals) and other B.t. inhibiting fungicides on fruits and vegetables. The RBPR (1) can complete the examination of a batch of 50 vegetable samples within 3 hrs or even faster, (2) provides toxicological indication on plants sample with residue of organophosphates, carbamates, EBDC's and other detectable fungicides, and (3) is extremely economic and the material costs only Ca. N.T.$ 4.0 (=U.S.$ 0.15) per test. The sensitivities of RBPR to 20 organophosphorus compounds, 2 carbamates and 12 fungicides were examined, and a RBPR working flow chart was provided. This method is fast enough to provide information for market inspector to detect fruit and vegetable shipment with toxic response and hold from trading for further chemical analysis. The RBPR has been adopted by farmer associations, municipal markets and public health institutions in Taiwan for various functions i.e., farmer's education, preharvest inspection, market management and pesticide residues monitoring to reduce the toxic vegetable to be marketed. The RBPR can fill up informative and operational gaps between the lengthy chemical analysis of residues and the fast moving vegetable trading.