Pesticides: Boon and Bane
Pesticides, a highly controversial topic. In one narrative regarded as plant protection, while in another seen as toxic chemicals. In this article, we aim to clarify what pesticides actually are, why they are even used, where their risks lie, as well as how pesticides can be tested and where SICRIT can be of assistance in this regard.
What Are Pesticides Used for?
Pesticides refer to a variety of different substances used as „plant protectant“ or as biocides. They are used to protect crop from harmful plants (herbicides), insects (insecticides), or fungi (fungicides). Without pesticides, food production at the scale demanded today would not be feasible. Reduced crops in agricultural products would not only mean less fruits and vegetables in the supermarkets but also a shortage in various processed products.
The Danger that Comes from Pesticides
While pesticides offer benefits such as higher yields, they also come with significant drawbacks. As toxic chemicals, they exert a considerable impact on the environment as well as the health of animals and humans. Notable disadvantages of pesticides are contaminated groundwater, the unintended killing of unharmful plants and animals, leading to a substantial negative disruption of natural ecosystems and food chains. But also for humans, pesticides pose a significant hazard, given their potential for carcinogenic and other chronic diseases. Exposure doesn’t only occur in close proximity to fields where pesticides are applied or through private use in one’s garden. Everyday food consumption can also expose individuals to pesticide residues if they were used during cultivation. Not all agricultural products behave the same in this regard. Leafy and fruit vegetables, for example, are generally more susceptible to residues compared to sturdier root vegetables.
To mitigate this risk of pesticide residues in food for consumers, many countries have precise guidelines for their use. The EU’s pesticide policy in particular is one of the strictest worldwide. The crucial factor here is not only the specific product and the amount of the pesticide used but also a designated waiting period between application and harvesting, which eventually affects the presence of residues in the final product.
In a comprehensive examination of various food samples by the European Union, 96.1% fell within the legally permissible limits. Investigations like this are crucial for regularly monitoring the quality of food, identifying problem areas, and ultimately protecting consumer health.
Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Food
A rapid, reliable, and comprehensive analysis of residues in food is provided by so-called multimethods. They allow an analysis of many different pesticides simultaneously and can be applied to a wide variety of products. Long-established and officially recognized is the QuEChERS method that stands for „Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged Safe“ and already reveals its advantages. It consists of a three-step process that begins with the extraction of samples using organic solvent and continues with sample cleanup. Finally, the residues contained are quantified using coupled gas or liquid chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS/MS or LC-MS/MS).
Unfortunately, not all pesticides or active ingredients are effectively captured through the QuEChERS method. Particularly with polar substances, this method reaches its limitations. At this point, single methods – specialized procedures for specific substances – are currently used. In our latest Application Note, Plasmion’s LC-Module was able to stand the test regarding its innovative aspect. To bridge the gap between the different pesticide analyte classes, and provide a new perspective on ionization with LC, the SICRIT® LC-Module takes the advantages of the pre-existing SICRIT® ionization source, conventionally a gas-phase ionization technique, and applies it to an LC method, allowing for soft ionization of both polar and non-polar compounds. This means that with one single method a broad spectrum of pesticides can be covered which makes pesticide analysis and food quality control easier and faster. With innovative technologies in this field not only humans as consumers can be protected, but nature and wildlife also benefit from improving control approaches.
If you want to read more about this innovative method, proceed to the mentioned Application Note here.