Pesticide residue analysis in parsley, lettuce and spinach by LC-MS/MS

In this study, pesticide residues in parsley, lettuce and spinach (120 samples) were analyzed by the application of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). All samples of spinach, parsley or lettuce contained residues of three or more active substances. In parsley, carbendazim (100.0%), dichlorvos (100.0%), fenarimol (40.0%), pendimethalin (95.0%), in lettuce, diazinon (30.0%), dichlorvos (100.0%), pendimethalin (92.5%) phenthoate (12.5%), and in spinach, carbendazim (45.0%), cymoxanil (85.0%), dichlorvos (100.0%) and fenarimol (85.0%) were the significant active compounds. The maximum residue limits were exceeded in 28, 20 and 40 samples of parsley, lettuce and spinach, respectively. The results showed that there was a high occurrence of pesticide residues in parsley, lettuce and spinach samples from Hatay province, in which most of them were prohibited from use in Turkey for these vegetables. The contamination levels of these residues may be considered a serious public health problem according to the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of Turkey and the European Union (EU).