Monitoring dithiocarbamate fungicide residues in greenhouse and non-greenhouse tomatoes in Iran by HPLC-UV

Abstract

The simultaneous analysis of dithiocarbamate fungicide residues on greenhouse and non-greenhouse tomatoes was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. A calibration curve with spiked samples was plotted to determine dithiocarbamate residues in tomato samples. Limits of detection and quantification were approximately 0.05 and 0.2 µg g⁻¹, respectively. The ranges of mean recoveries at five spiking levels for all dithiocarbamates of interest were between 88.2%–95.7% and 99.5%–100.8% in standards and spiked samples, respectively. In this study, 40 greenhouse and 40 non-greenhouse tomato samples were analysed. None of the samples analysed contained dithiocarbamates in excess of the maximum residue levels established by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues, except for one greenhouse sample, with ethylenebisdithiocarbamates at 3.2 µg g⁻¹.

Keywords:

• dithiocarbamate
• fungicide
• tomato
• HPLC

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Food and Drug Laboratory Research Center (FDLRC), Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The authors are grateful to the staff of the Toxicology Laboratory, FDLRC.