A New Study on the Environmental Fate of Chemical Crops in Tomato Production in Colombia


The environmental fate of chemical crop protection has been extensively studied in temperate regions, but not in tropical regions. In Colombia, tomatoes are an important commodity characterized by the excessive use of chemical crop protection products. However, the environmental fate of chemical crop protection products has not yet been determined. Through direct field sampling and subsequent laboratory analysis, the residues of 30 chemical crop protection products in fruits, leaves and soil samples were analyzed, as well as the residues of 490 pesticides in water and sediments of two open-air and greenhouse tomato production areas. By liquid chromatography or gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry.
A total of 22 chemical crop protection products were detected. Among them, the highest content of thiabendazole in fruits (0.79 mg kg -1), indoxacarb (24.81 mg kg -1) in leaves, and beetle in soil (44.45 mg kg) -1) The highest concentration. No residues were detected in the water or sediment. At least one chemical crop protection product was detected in 66.7% of the samples. In the fruits, leaves and soil of these two regions, methyl beetothrin and beetothrin are common. In addition, seven chemical crop protection products exceeded MRLs. The results showed that the environmental areas of the Andean tomato high-yield areas, mainly in the soil and open-air production systems, have high presence and affinity for chemical crop protection products.
Arias Rodríguez, Luis & Garzón Espinosa, Alejandra & Ayarza, Alejandra & Aux, Sandra & Bojacá, Carlos. (2021). The environmental fate of pesticides in the open-air and greenhouse tomato production areas of Colombia. Environmental progress. 3.100031. 10.1016/ j.envadv.2021.100031.