Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Water, Rice, Fruits and Vegetables

Pesticides have played a major role in increasing agricultural output by pest control and eliminating insect driven illnesses. Kerala’s tragedy on endosulfan exposure made us to study pesticides in water, rice, fruits and vegetables from Thiruvananthapuram location. Rice (the main cereal consumed in Kerala), fruits, and vegetables, as well as water samples from wells and streams in the Thiruvananthapuram districts, were collected for analysis of residue levels in major food items consumed by people in Kerala. The research was carried out to measure the concentration of organochlorine, organophosphorus, and synthetic pyrethroid pesticides using gas chromatography. The water and food samples collected were analysed for pesticide residues and the quantities were estimated using GC-ECD/NPD. A standard mixture containing Pesticides (OCs, OPs, Pyrethroids, and carbamates) was run before the actual samples. The detection was used to estimate the residues of fifteen commonly used pesticides, namely organochlorine pesticides (endosulfan, dieldrin, aldrin, lindane, DDT), organophosphorus pesticides (chlorpyrifos, profenophos, quinalphos, dimethoate, phorate) and synthetic pyrethroid pesticides (cypermethrin, fenvalerate, deltamethrin, carbofuran).  The study concluded that food exposure to pesticides would result in unacceptable health hazards and awareness of pesticide residues in foodstuffs, as well as to quantify the possible health. Hence, necessary to maintain the survey of pesticide residues in all food commodities in order to safeguard the consumers.