Statistical study of the influence of fungicide treatments (mancozeb, zoxamide and copper oxychloride) on heavy metal concentrations in Sicilian red wine.

The aim was to assess the influence of mancozeb, zoxamide and copper oxychloride fungicide treatments on Mn, Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb concentrations in Sicilian red wines, grapes, marcs and grape stalks. The experimentation was carried out over two crop years: 2003 and 2004. Trace metals analysis was performed by derivative stripping chronopotentiometry, which allowed detection of concentrations lower than 1 ng g(-1). The data obtained gave evidence that the levels of Mn and Zn in wines from plots treated with zoxamide-mancozeb were about threefold higher than those observed in the control. Wines treated with Cu oxychloride had a significant increase in Cu(II) concentrations with respect to the control; in particular, samples from 2004 showed a 50% increase in Cu levels. Furthermore, as shown in a previous paper, the fungicides treatments studied led to a moderate increase in Pb(II) and Cd(II) levels in treated samples with respect to the control. Wines from 2004 had higher Cu and Pb amounts than wines from 2003; but the concentrations of all the other metals were similar. Statistical analysis of the data by linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and the Kruskal-Wallis test confirmed that both zoxamide-mancozeb treatments and copper oxychloride treatments exerted a significant influence on Mn(II), Zn(II) Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) concentrations in wines, grapes, marcs and grape stalks samples from both the studied vintages.