Evaluation of the Contamination by Herbicides in Olive Groves

The application of phytosanitary products on the ground is one of the main employed procedures to solve the problems of plagues and diseases in olive groves. As a result, there is an increasing unease related to the possible presence of residues from these products in the olive-derived foods. Recent studies have shown that these residues can be found in olives and olive oil (mainly insecticides and fungicides) due to the lipophillic nature of the used plaguicides. This is also the effect that has been observed with the introduction of herbicides in this cultive. However, the detected levels of all these phytosanitary products are usually below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) established.