Pesticides in randomly collected rice commercialised in Entre Ríos, Argentina

An analytical method for determination of azoxystrobin, cyproconazole, deltamethrin, epoxiconazole, kresoxim-methyl, and penconazole in rice, using QuEChERS extraction and a gas chromatography, was validated. Recoveries ranged within the 98.9-107.8 % range for all pesticides. Limits of detection and of quantification were 0.27 and 0.90 μg/kg for azoxystrobin, 0.26 and 0.88 μg/kg for cyproconazole, 0.25 and 0.84 μg/kg for deltametrhin, 0.22 and 0.72 μg/kg for epoxiconazole, 0.22 and 0.73 μg/kg for kresoxim-methyl and 0.23 and 0.77 μg/kg for penconazole, respectively. The expanded measurement uncertainty was lower than 20% for all pesticides. The occurrence of these pesticides was evaluated in 100 rice samples commercialised in different supermarkets. Residues of at least two pesticides simultaneously were found in 94 samples. The concentrations were lower than European and Argentinean legislative limits, with exception of epoxiconazole that in 36 rice samples was found in concentrations above the limit established in Argentina.