Abstract
The aim of this work was to report on imidacloprid [IUPAC name 1-(6-chloro-3-pyridylmethyl)-N-nitroimidazolidin-2-ylideneamine] residues in some vegetables, fruits, and water samples collected from the West Bank, Palestine, in 1998 and 1999. Imidacloprid and its derivatives in the study samples were extracted by methanol/water and oxidized into 6-chloronicotinic acid and subsequently derivatized into 6-chloronicotinic acid trimethylsilyl ester before being determined by GC/MS. Imidacloprid residues were detected in more than half of the analyzed samples. The highest and lowest imidacloprid concentrations were found in eggplant (0.46 mg/kg) and green beans (0.08 mg/kg), respectively. An increase of 11–120% in imidacloprid concentration in the 1999 samples was observed when compared with those of 1998. This may suggest imidacloprid accumulation in the soil and/or increased use by local farmers. The imidacloprid residue concentrations in several crops were found to exceed the CODEX maximum residue limit.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank both Dr. Aqel Abu Qaree and Dr. Aarif El-Mubarak for their technical support. The project was funded by NIEHS under the MERC program. EnTox is jointly funded by Queensland Health, Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, and The University of Queensland, Australia.
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Daraghmeh, A., Shraim, A., Abulhaj, S. et al. Imidacloprid residues in fruits, vegetables and water samples from Palestine. Environ Geochem Health 29, 45–50 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-006-9060-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-006-9060-2