Dataset Information

Food safety in Thailand 4: comparison of pesticide residues found in three commonly consumed vegetables purchased from local markets and supermarkets in Thailand.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The wide use of pesticides raises concerns on the health risks associated with pesticide exposure. For developing countries, like Thailand, pesticide monitoring program (in vegetables and fruits) and also the maximum residue limits (MRL) regulation have not been entirely implemented. The MRL is a product limit, not a safety limit. The MRL is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue (expressed as mg/kg) recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to be legally permitted in or on food commodities and animal feeds (Codex Alimentarius Commission, 2015; European Commission, 2015). MRLs are based on supervised residue trial data where the pesticide has been applied in accordance with GAP (Good Agricultural Practice). This study aims at providing comparison data on pesticide residues found in three commonly consumed vegetables (Chinese kale, pakchoi and morning glory) purchased from some local markets and supermarkets in Thailand.

Methods

These vegetables were randomly bought from local markets and supermarkets. Then they were analyzed for the content of 28 pesticides by using GC-MS/MS.

Results

Types of pesticides detected in the samples either from local markets or supermarkets were similar. The incidence of detected pesticides was 100% (local markets) and 99% (supermarkets) for the Chinese kale; 98% (local markets) and 100% (supermarkets) for the pakchoi; and 99% (local markets) and 97% (supermarkets) for the morning glory samples. The pesticides were detected exceeding their MRL at a rate of 48% (local markets) and 35% (supermarkets) for the Chinese kale; 71% (local markets) and 55% (supermarkets) for the pakchoi, and 42% (local markets) and 49% (supermarkets) for the morning glory.

Discussion

These rates are much higher than those seen in developed countries. It should be noted that these findings were assessed on basis of using criteria (such as MRL) obtained from developed countries. Our findings were also confined to these vegetables sold in a few central provinces of Thailand and did not reflect for the whole country as sample sizes were small. Risk assessment due to consuming these pesticide contaminated vegetables, still remains to be evaluated. However, remarkably high incidence rates of detected pesticides give warning to the Thai authorities to implement proper regulations on pesticide monitoring program. Similar incidence of pesticide contamination found in the vegetables bought from local markets and supermarkets raises question regarding the quality of organic vegetables domestically sold in Thailand. This conclusion excludes Thai export quality vegetables and fruits routinely monitored for pesticide contamination before exporting.

SUBMITTER: Wanwimolruk S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5012412 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Food safety in Thailand 4: comparison of pesticide residues found in three commonly consumed vegetables purchased from local markets and supermarkets in Thailand.

Wanwimolruk Sompon S Phopin Kamonrat K Boonpangrak Somchai S Prachayasittikul Virapong V

PeerJ 20160901

<h4>Background</h4>The wide use of pesticides raises concerns on the health risks associated with pesticide exposure. For developing countries, like Thailand, pesticide monitoring program (in vegetables and fruits) and also the maximum residue limits (MRL) regulation have not been entirely implemented. The MRL is a product limit, not a safety limit. The MRL is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue (expressed as mg/kg) recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to be legally perm ...[more]

PMID: 27635366

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Project description:BackgroundPesticides are widely used in agricultural production to control insect pests and regulate plant growth in China, which may result in the presence of some pesticide residues in the vegetables. However, few studies of monitoring pesticides have been conducted in Henan Province. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of pesticide residues in commonly consumed vegetables in the regions of Henan Province.MethodsIn this study, we collected 5,576 samples of 15 different vegetables in 17 areas from Henan Province during 2020. Eight kinds of pesticides were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), including procymidone, lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, pendimethalin, isocarbophos, isazophos, fenthion and deltamethrin. The chi-square test was used to compare the detection rates of pesticide residues in different regions.ResultsOf all the pesticides above, procymidone, lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, pendimethalin and isocarbophos were detected in vegetables, the detection rates were 27.0%, 16.2%, 11.4%, 3.5%, and 1.9%, respectively. However, isazophos, fenthion, and deltamethrin were not detected. In addition, procymidone, lambda-cyhalothrin, and cypermethrin were detected in urban areas, while pendimethalin was detected in rural areas. The detection rates of cypermethrin and pendimethalin in rural were 19.8% and 5.4%, respectively, which in urban were at relatively lower levels (13.7% and 1.9%, respectively) (P < 0.05). Compared the differences of pesticide detection rates among five areas of Henan province, we found that there were statistical differences in the detection rates of procymidone, cypermethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin in different regions (all P < 0.05).ConclusionThe results have revealed that the pesticide residues are present. Higher detection rates and more types of pesticides were found in rural areas than urban areas. In addition, there were higher detection rates in Eastern Henan. The findings provided valuable information on the current pesticide residues status, which can be a reference of pesticide supervision and management.

Project description:BackgroundFluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) and amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) are common leafy vegetables produced and consumed in southwestern Nigeria. These vegetables attract insect pests which are controlled by pesticides that may have adverse impacts on human health.ObjectivesTo determine the levels of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) pesticide residues in the two vegetables and evaluate the potential health risks associated with their consumption.MethodsThe pesticide residue levels were quantitatively and qualitatively determined using a gas chromatograph coupled with electron capture detector. Health risk assessment were performed using estimated average daily intake and hazard indices for two weight categories: children (16.7 kg) and adults (60 kg).ResultsThe results showed that delta-HCH, DDT and methoxychlor were predominantly detected in the two vegetables from both farms and markets. In amaranth, the mean concentration of methoxychlor, DDT and delta-HCH were 4.590 ± 2.774 mg/kg (dry weight (dw)), 0.757 ± 0.457 mg/kg (dw) and 0.577 ± 0.390 mg/kg (dw), respectively, while fluted pumpkin levels were 6.223 ± 2.489 mg/kg dw (methoxychlor), 0.504 ± 0.056 mg/kg dw (delta-HCH) and 0.486 ± 0.123 mg/kg dw (DDT). The levels of HCH and DDT residues were generally above the United Kingdom/European Commission maximum residue limit. The analysis of health risk estimates for non-carcinogenic risk revealed that for both vegetables, the hazard quotient for p, p' DDT and methoxychlor was >1 for both children and adults. The health risk estimates for carcinogenic risk revealed that hazard indices values were >1 for children for both vegetables and alpha-HCH had a hazard index >1 for adults for amaranth. This means the residue exceeds acceptable standard and present potential risk to consumers of these vegetables.ConclusionsThe results obtained from the present study indicate that consumption of amaranth contaminated with alpha-HCH could pose a carcinogenic risk for adult consumers. The consumption of the two vegetables could pose both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks to children and adults. Therefore, there is need for strict enforcement of regulations on pesticide usage to minimize human health risks.Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Project description:In recent years, organic food, produced with the use of natural means and production methods, has been gaining more and more popularity among consumers. This is due, inter alia, to their belief that it is more abundant in health-promoting bioactive compounds and safer than conventional food. Consumers are increasingly aware of the harmfulness of plant protection products used in intensive agriculture, which are not allowed in organic production. At the same time, it is reported that a certain share of organic products on the EU market are contaminated with pesticide residues, which may raise consumer concerns and lead to a loss of trust in organic food. The aim of the present study was to investigate the problem of pesticide residues occurrence in random samples of organically produced fruits and vegetables (apples, potatoes, carrots, and beetroots) commonly used in the Polish households, and which are available directly from the organic producers in open markets in Poland. For simultaneous analysis of 375 pesticides, an LC-MS/MS system consisting of an Eksigent expert ultraLC 100-XL coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer QTRAP 6500 and GC Agilent 6890 N equipped with ECD/NPD system were used. Among the 96 vegetable and fruit samples studied, 89 samples (92.7%) were free from detectable pesticide residues, 7 samples (7.3%) of carrot (5) and potato (2) were contaminated, and in 1 of them (1.0%) the detected residues exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL). None of the tested apple and beetroot samples were found to contain detectable residues. These findings are important for Polish consumers who look for high-quality organic food. However, the presence of detectable residues in a small proportion of the organic samples indicates a need to strengthen the monitoring of pesticides in organic crops, to educate farmers and to raise their awareness regarding the risks of unauthorized use of pesticides banned in organic farming, which can damage the reputation of the whole organic sector.

Dataset Information

Food safety in Thailand 4: comparison of pesticide residues found in three commonly consumed vegetables purchased from local markets and supermarkets in Thailand.

Background

Methods

Results

Discussion

Publications

Food safety in Thailand 4: comparison of pesticide residues found in three commonly consumed vegetables purchased from local markets and supermarkets in Thailand.

Similar Datasets

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