Residue Content of Organophosphorus Pesticides and their Toxic Metabolites in Greenhouse-Grown Tomatoes during Pre-Harvest Interval and Post-Harvest Processing: A Kinetic Study

Abstract

Background: Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) have a wide application throughout the world and exert adverse effects on human health. Moreover, these chemical compounds are responsible for thousands of deaths per year worldwide. Kinetic and mathematical models could be used to optimize the application of pesticides on fruits and vegetables and monitor their residues. Objectives: The present study aimed to model the dissipation of diazinon and chlorpyrifos in different conditions, such as household conditions (e.g., storage at room and refrigerator temperatures, as well as cooking) and field condition for greenhouse tomatoes. Methods: A multi-residue analysis of diazinon, chlorpyrifos, and their oxon derivatives was established by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification (LOQ), recovery, precision, linearity, and the limit of detection (LOD) were evaluated to ensure that the method was able to effectively determine the studied pesticides in the tomato samples. The linear and nonlinear kinetic models were presented for chlorpyrifos and diazinon residues in tomato using zero-order, first-order, and second-order equations. Results: Based on the best fitting models for diazinon in the case of laboratory treatment at the refrigerator, room, and boiling temperatures, the half-lives were calculated as 18.79 days, 11.41 days, and 45.39 min, respectively. The half-life of diazinon was lower than that of chlorpyrifos in both field and laboratory treatments. Conclusion: Modeling the removal of the pesticides indicated that the nonlinear first- and second-order models were the best fitted models for the dissipation of both pesticides in field and post-harvest conditions.