International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology
Citation: IJAEB: 8(2): 457-466 June 2015
DOI Number: 10.5958/2230-732X.2015.00053.4
©2015 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved
AGRICULTURE CHEMICALS
Method Validation for Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis
of Pesticide Residues in Tomato with GC-MS/MS (TQD) for
Food Safety Testing
SreenivasaȱRaoȱCherukuri*,ȱShashiȱBhushanȱV,ȱHarinathaȱReddyȱA,ȱ
RavindranathȱD,ȱArunaȱM,ȱSwarupaȱRaniȱS,ȱRameshȱBȱandȱHymavathyȱM
All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues, PJTS Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500030, Telangana State,
India
*Corresponding author: cherukurisrao@yahoo.com
Paper No. 337
Received: 24 June 2014
Accepted: 21 May 2015
Published: 29 June 2015
Abstract
Pesticideȱresiduesȱanalysisȱinȱfruitsȱandȱfreshȱvegetablesȱisȱaȱchallengeȱforȱfoodȱsafetyȱasȱtheȱgapȱbetweenȱ
pesticideȱspraysȱandȱharvestsȱisȱveryȱlessȱinȱvegetables.ȱAȱmultiȱresidueȱmethodȱwasȱdevelopedȱforȱ
qualitativeȱ andȱ quantitativeȱ analysisȱ ofȱ 64ȱ pesticidesȱ (insecticides,ȱ fungicidesȱ andȱ herbicides)ȱ usingȱ
QuEChERSȱ extractionȱ methodȱ andȱ GC-MS/MSȱ (Tripleȱ Quadrupole)ȱ forȱ analysis.ȱ Eightȱ differentȱ
concentrationsȱofȱcertifiedȱreferenceȱmaterialsȱfromȱ0.05ȱppmȱtoȱ0.30ȱppmȱwereȱinjectedȱinȱGC-MS/MSȱ
withȱMRMȱmethod,ȱinȱsixȱreplications,ȱandȱR 2 ȱrangedȱfromȱ0.990-0.999ȱwithȱRSDȱofȱ0.55ȱtoȱ11.24.ȱTheȱ
sampleȱpreparationȱapproachȱisȱthroughȱadoptionȱofȱQuEChERSȱmethod,ȱuntreatedȱcontrolȱtomatoȱ
samplesȱwereȱfortifiedȱwithȱmixtureȱofȱpesticidesȱatȱ0.05,ȱ0.25,ȱ0.5ȱmg/kg,ȱeachȱisȱfiveȱreplications,ȱandȱ
theȱrecoveryȱofȱpesticidesȱisȱinȱtheȱrangeȱofȱ80-95%,ȱandȱhenceȱmethodȱcanȱbeȱusedȱforȱqualitativeȱandȱ
quantitativeȱanalysisȱofȱ64ȱpesticidesȱin/onȱtomatoȱforȱmonitoringȱstudies.
Highlights
analysisȱinȱTomatoȱisȱusefulȱforȱqualitativeȱandȱquantitativeȱanalysisȱofȱresiduesȱatȱ0.05ȱppmȱlevelȱ
forȱ64ȱpesticides
Keywords: Methodȱvalidation,ȱpesticideȱresidues,ȱtomato,ȱGC-MS/MSȱ(TQD)
Vegetablesȱareȱtheȱimportantȱingredientȱofȱtheȱhumanȱ month,ȱ respectivelyȱ (Anonymous,ȱ 2014),ȱ andȱ theȱ
dietȱforȱtheȱmaintenanceȱofȱtheȱhealthȱandȱpreventionȱ totalȱ Indianȱ mealȱ constitutesȱ aboutȱ 150-250ȱ gȱ ofȱ
ofȱdiseases.ȱTomatoȱ( Lycopersicon esculentum ȱMill.)ȱisȱ vegetablesȱperȱdayȱ(MukherjeeȱandȱGopal,ȱ2003).ȱAȱ
widelyȱconsumedȱvegetableȱinȱIndiaȱusuallyȱinȱtheȱ wideȱrangeȱofȱpesticidesȱareȱusedȱforȱcropȱprotectionȱ
formȱofȱcurry,ȱandȱalsoȱinȱrawȱformȱasȱsalad,ȱhome-
againstȱ pestȱ infectionȱ duringȱ theȱ cultivationȱ ofȱ
cooked,ȱorȱprocessedȱasȱjuice,ȱpaste,ȱorȱsauce.ȱAsȱperȱ vegetablesȱ (Agnihotriȱ 1999;ȱ Kalra,ȱ 2003),ȱ andȱ theȱ
theȱNationalȱSampleȱsurveyȱconductedȱduringȱ2011-
literatureȱrevealsȱthatȱvegetablesȱcontainȱtheȱresiduesȱ
2012ȱ inȱ India,ȱ perȱ capitaȱ consumptionȱ ofȱ tomatoȱ ofȱ pesticidesȱ aboveȱ theirȱ respectiveȱ maximumȱ
inȱ ruralȱ andȱ urbanȱ areaȱ isȱ 586ȱ andȱ 806ȱ gramsȱ perȱ residueȱ limitȱ (Taneja,ȱ 2005;ȱ Ashutoshȱ Kȱ Srivatsava