Open AccessDistribution of Pesticides in Different Commonly Grown Vegetables of Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia
Author(s) -
Nusrat Munawar,
Yang Farina,
Mohammad Yaqoob,
Abdul Nabi,
Syed Munawar Shah Syed Munawar Shah
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
sains malaysiana
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.251
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 2735-0118
pISSN - 0126-6039
DOI - 10.17576/jsm-2021-5010-08
Subject(s) - pesticide , chemistry , electron capture detector , pyrethroid , detection limit , pesticide residue , gas chromatography , toxicology , chromatography , environmental chemistry , agronomy , biology
Gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD) is used to extract and analyse pesticides in vegetable samples collected from Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia. The limit of detection (LOD) for all pesticides was in the range of 0.03 to 4.5 ng g-1. Recoveries in cabbage, lettuce, and celery ranged from 61.8%-121%, 60-128% and 60%-114%, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged 0.2-15% in cabbage, 0.5-18% in lettuce and 3-19.8% in celery. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) concentrations increased down the valley with dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) having the highest concentration at 233 µg kg-1. Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) were found to be dispersed throughout the valley, with the highest concentration of parathion ethyl (133 µg kg-1) whereas the pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) concentrations were comparatively less. The detection frequency in the wet season was highest (5 < - < 100 µg kg-1) for most pesticides. However, in the dry season the pesticides concentrations were higher, at < 5 µg kg-1. PCA analysis indicated that farmers were using a mixture of pesticides.