Representative commodity for five brassica vegetables based on the determination and dissipation of six pesticide residues

Abstract

A Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe method for determination of thiophanate-methyl, carbendazim, metalaxyl, fluazifop-P-butyl, chlorpyrifos and lambda-cyhalothrin in five brassica vegetables by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-electron capture detector has been developed. The average recoveries of six pesticides in five brassica vegetables were in the range of 77.4%–117.4% with relative standard deviation of 3.7–10.8%. Residues of thiophanate-methyl, carbendazim, metalaxyl, fluazifop-P-butyl, chlorpyrifos and lambda-cyhalothrin in five brassica vegetables were studied with the developed method for the classification of crop group and selection of representative commodity of five brassica vegetables. Totally 48 open field trials on five brassica vegetables were conducted at two locations in two different seasons. The residue dynamics and final residues of the six pesticides at three preharvest intervals in different vegetables were compared. All six pesticides had the longest half-lives in cabbage (2.1–3.5 days). Residues of carbendazim (sum of thiophanate-methyl and carbendazim), metalaxyl, chlorpyrifos and lambda-cyhalothrin had similar trend in different brassica vegetables. The maximal concentrations of these pesticide residues were found in kale (0.28–10.9 mg kg−1). Fluazifop-P-butyl residues were at low levels in all five brassica vegetables (<0.01–0.03 mg kg−1). Cabbage, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kohlrabi had no significant difference in all six pesticide residues and could be classified in a subgroup of Head Brassicas. Cabbage should be selected as the representative commodity. Considering the highest residues in kale and its different morphology, kale should not be classified into the subgroup of Head Brassicas.