EVALUATION OF THE PERSISTENCY OF CHLORPYRIFOS RESIDUES IN FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT AFTER CAULIFLOWER CULTIVATION

Resumo

The development of the agricultural sector happened due to population growth, which increased the use of pesticides to mitigate pests and increase the availability of food. Organophosphates represent 38% of all pesticides used worldwide, and chlorpyrifos is widely utilized in Brazil. The primary source of contamination by chlorpyrifos occurs by the ingestion of trace amounts of this pesticide present in food and drinking water. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify chlorpyrifos residues in cauliflower, artesian well water near the plantation, and soil, and compare the results with a maximum residue level (MRL) allowed by Codex Alimentarius and the World Health Organization. For this, we used High Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV detector. The test results of persistent chlorpyrifos in agricultural practice demonstrated that dosages used during the application recommended by the manufacturer were safe, given that the measured concentrations were below MRL in cauliflower and water. Chlorpyrifos residues were not detected in the soil sample, confirming its fast degradation and low persistence.