Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 Jan;31(4):6232-6242. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-31694-z. Epub 2023 Dec 26.
This study aimed to investigate the presence of pesticide residues in a variety of commonly consumed leafy vegetables, including Grape leaves, Lettuce, Arugula, Spinach, Purslane, Ocimum, Parsley, Jew's mallow, Celery, Coriander, and Mint. A total of 100 samples were collected from the Central Market of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our methodology involved employing the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction method in combination with Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to analyze a comprehensive database of 237 distinct pesticides. The range for limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were 0.0001 to 0.0014 mg. Kg and 0.0010 to 0.0064 mg. Kg for tested pesticides, respectively. The recoveries were in the range of 70-172.9%, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 19.0% for all tested pesticides. The results revealed that 60% of the analyzed samples were free from pesticide residues, while 40% exhibited contamination with 17 different pesticide residues. Notably, the most prevalent pesticide detected was Triallate in the Ocimum samples, followed by Metalaxyl in Grape leaves, Mint, and Spinach, and Methomyl in Celery. Approximately 45% of the samples contained pesticide residues that fell below or were equal to the European Union Maximum Residue Levels (EU MRLs), while the remaining 55% exceeded these MRLs. Remarkably, high pesticide concentrations were observed in all Ocimum samples (Triallate, Pyridaben, Hexythiazox, Imidacloprid), 67% of Grape leaves (Metalaxyl, Azoxystrobin, Difenoconazole Isomer), and 40% of Celery (Azoxystrobin, Methomyl). In conclusion, this study sheds light on the contamination levels of commonly consumed domestically produced and purchased leafy vegetables in the Central Market of Jeddah. To ensure food safety and the well-being of consumers, we strongly recommend enhanced scientific assessments and continued monitoring of pesticide usage in agricultural practices.
本研究旨在调查常见食用叶菜类蔬菜中农药残留的存在情况，包括葡萄叶、生菜、芝麻菜、菠菜、马齿苋、罗勒、欧芹、锦葵、芹菜、香菜和薄荷。共从沙特阿拉伯吉达中央市场采集了 100 个样本。我们的方法涉及使用快速、简单、廉价、有效、坚固和安全（QuEChERS）提取方法结合液相色谱-串联质谱（LC-MS/MS）分析 237 种不同农药的综合数据库。该方法的检测限（LOD）和定量限（LOQ）范围分别为 0.0001 至 0.0014 mg. Kg 和 0.0010 至 0.0064 mg. Kg。测试农药的回收率在 70-172.9%之间，所有测试农药的相对标准偏差（RSD）均小于 19.0%。结果表明，60%的分析样本不含农药残留，而 40%的样本含有 17 种不同的农药残留。值得注意的是，在罗勒样本中检测到的最常见农药是 Triallate，其次是在葡萄叶、薄荷和菠菜中检测到的 Metalaxyl，以及在芹菜中检测到的 Methomyl。约 45%的样本含有低于或等于欧盟最大残留限量（EU MRLs）的农药残留，而其余 55%的样本则超过了这些 MRLs。值得注意的是，在所有罗勒样本（Triallate、Pyridaben、Hexythiazox、Imidacloprid）中都观察到高浓度的农药，67%的葡萄叶（Metalaxyl、Azoxystrobin、Difenoconazole Isomer）和 40%的芹菜（Azoxystrobin、Methomyl）。总之，本研究揭示了吉达中央市场中常见食用国产和购买叶菜类蔬菜的污染水平。为了确保食品安全和消费者的健康，我们强烈建议加强对农业实践中农药使用的科学评估和持续监测。
