Alminderej Fahad M, Saleh Sayed M, Abdallah Osama I
Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia.
Pesticide Residues and Environmental Pollution Department, Central Agricultural Pesticide Laboratory, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza, 12618, Egypt.
Heliyon. 2024 Aug 29;10(17):e36805. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36805. eCollection 2024 Sep 15.
The Al-Qassim region, a prominent agricultural hub in Saudi Arabia, significantly contributes to the national production of vegetables and fruits. This study validated the standard EN-QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method in conjunction with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to determine 90 multiple pesticide residues in three categories of peppers: green bell, green hot and red chilli peppers. Validation criteria, including linearity range, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ), were within the acceptance range of the SANTE/11312/2021 guideline. The validated method was then used to analyse 536 pepper samples collected in 2023 from the Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. The analysis of 536 pepper samples revealed that 394 samples (73.51 %) contained pesticide residues, with 126 (23.51 %) exceeding the established maximum residue limits (MRLs). The most frequently identified pesticide was imidacloprid (171 samples, 31.9 %) and acetamiprid (94 samples, 17.54 %), followed by bifenazate and difenoconazole, which were each detected in 66 samples (12.31 %). Among the remaining 32 pesticides, 24 were detected in 1%-10 % of the samples, whereas 8 were detected in <1 %. The 36 pesticides detected were classified into 14 insecticides (38.9 %), 14 fungicides (38.9 %) and 8 acaricides (22.2 %). Notably, the overall detection rate of the pesticides was relatively higher in red chilli peppers (232 %) compared with bell peppers (165 %), followed by green hot peppers (132 %). Red chilli peppers also showed the highest residue concentrations of various pesticides. Neonicotinoids and triazoles exhibited the highest detection rates in this study. The residue quality index (IqR) of the samples analysed fell into the categories excellent (26.49 %), good (31.72 %), and adequate (14.06 %), with 28.73 % of the samples deemed inadequate. Long-term dietary exposure was examined for adults and children. This study highlights the crucial role of continual observation in defending public health and securing the trade standardisation and safety.
卡西姆地区是沙特阿拉伯一个重要的农业中心，对该国蔬菜和水果的产量有重大贡献。本研究验证了标准的EN-快速、简便、廉价、有效、耐用和安全（EN-QuEChERS）方法与液相色谱-串联质谱法（LC-MS/MS）相结合，用于测定三类辣椒（青椒、青尖椒和红辣椒）中的90种多种农药残留。验证标准，包括线性范围、准确度、精密度、检测限（LOD）和定量限（LOQ），均在SANTE/11312/2021指南的可接受范围内。然后，使用经过验证的方法对2023年从沙特阿拉伯卡西姆地区采集的536份辣椒样品进行分析。对536份辣椒样品的分析表明，394份样品（73.51%）含有农药残留，其中126份（23.51%）超过了既定的最大残留限量（MRLs）。最常检测到的农药是吡虫啉（171份样品，31.9%）和啶虫脒（94份样品，17.54%），其次是联苯肼酯和苯醚甲环唑，各在66份样品（12.31%）中检测到。在其余32种农药中，24种在1%-10%的样品中检测到，而8种在<1%的样品中检测到。检测到的36种农药分为14种杀虫剂（38.9%）、14种杀菌剂（38.9%）和8种杀螨剂（22.2%）。值得注意的是，与青椒（165%）相比，红辣椒中农药的总体检出率相对较高（232%），其次是青尖椒（132%）。红辣椒中各种农药的残留浓度也最高。新烟碱类和三唑类在本研究中检出率最高。所分析样品的残留质量指数（IqR）分为优秀（26.49%）、良好（31.72%）和合格（14.06%）三类，28.73%的样品被认为不合格。对成人和儿童的长期膳食暴露情况进行了检查。本研究强调了持续监测在保障公众健康以及确保贸易标准化和安全方面的关键作用。
