Survey of residual pesticides in various fresh fruit crops: A case study

Abstract

An in-vitro study was conducted to estimate the pesticidal residues in five types of fruits; melon, guava, orange, peach, and mango. Organochlorine, organophosphate, carbamates, and pyrethroids, along with other insecticidal residues, were detected. The collection of samples was carried out from farmland located in the indigenous soil of Faisalabad and Toba Tek Singh. The residual pesticides were extracted by single-phase extraction and then purified by the gel permeation chromatographic technique. The extracted residues were isolated and quantified by HPTLC method. The detected residues were in the range of 0.1-0.3 mg kg−1. The study demonstrated a high risk of ongoing contamination posed by uncontrolled applications of pesticides, which are needed to be overcome on the lines of sustainable management measures.