Dissipation Kinetics, Decontamination and Safety Evaluation of Quinalphos Residues in Cauliflower Curd

A field experiment was conducted to study the persistence and reduction of quinalphos residues in cauliflower curd by applying quinalphos 25 EC twice at 250 g a.i./ha at 10 days intervals. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.05 µg/g, recovery ranged from 97 to 113%, and the relative standard deviation was less than 7%. The initial deposition of quinalphos residues in cauliflower curd was 1.72 µg/g and reached below LOQ level after 15 days of application. Dissipation of the residue followed first-order kinetics with a half-life of 2.32 days. The reduction of quinalphos residue was evaluated using various household processes. The greatest reduction (82%) was observed when washing was followed by cooking or boiling, while the smallest reduction (55.8%) was found when washing alone was performed. A waiting period of 9 days is recommended for safe consumption of cauliflower based on the FSSAI MRL value of 0.1 µg/g.