Profile of agrochemicals in the corn crop (Zea mays)

Abstract

The present work seeks to determine the presence of active ingredients derived from the application of agrochemicals in the cultivation of corn (grain) and soil, implementing the High Efficiency Liquid Chromatography with Double Mass Detector (UHPLC/MS/MS) technique in organophosphate and carbamate products: for the determination of Organochlorine pesticides, the Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD) method was used. The results obtained for organochlorine pesticide residues showed values ​​below the detection limit of the method, 0.61 µg/kg. The profile of organophosphate pesticides in soils identified 9 active ingredients such as: Metribuzin (herbicide), Diuron (herbicide), Imidacloprid (insecticide), Phosalone (insecticide), Buprofezin (insecticide), Oxamil (insecticide-nematicide), Carbendazim (fungicide), Tetraconazole (fungicide) and Thiabendazole (fungicide), all of them with a detection limit of 0.002 µg/kg, and a quantification limit of 0.005 µg/kg, below the Maximum Residue Limits allowed, which are at 0,1 µg/kg. The pesticide profile analysis in the samples (corn grain) with a stopping limit of 0.6161 µg/Kg and a quantification limit of 2.00 µg/kg, did not detect organochlorine residues. The analysis of the profile of Organophosphate pesticides (corn grain) identified 13 active ingredients such as: Prochloraz, Methiocarb, Bromacil, Oxadiazon, EPTC, Thiacloprid, Diflubenzuron, Piraclostrobin, Metribuzin (herbicide), Imidacloprid (insecticide), Phosalone (insecticide), Buprofezin (insecticide), Carbendazim (fungicide), all of them with a detention limit of 0.002 µg/kg, and a quantification limit of 0.005 µg/kg, finding the results well below the Maximum Allowable Residue Limits for corn, at 0.1 ppm.