Abstract A rapid procedure that involves GLC-EC and TLC analyses of plant extracts 5 min after treatment with sodium methylate is described for the qualitative confirmation of some pesticide residues. Plant extracts are cleaned up by elution through a carboncellulose column before treatment. The compounds studied were aldrin, captan, carbophenothion, p,p'-DDD, de-hydrochlorinated p,p-DDD, p,p'-DDE, o,p -DDT, p,p -DDT, Diazinon, dieldrin, disulfoton, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, malathion, methoxychlor, de-hydrochlorinated methoxychlor, mevinphos, and parathion. The pesticides added to beet, lettuce, pineapple, potato, and wheat eluates were reliably confirmed by GLC-EC or TLC after sodium methylate treatment. The procedure could be used to confirm only some of the pesticides added to extracts of apples, carrots, cauliflower, grapes, and peas because of components in these samples that gave interfering peaks