Evaluation of pesticides residues in Greek peaches during 2002-2007 after the implementation of integrated crop management

The incidence and levels of pesticide residues in peaches grown using Integrated Crop Management (ICM) methods in Pella and Imathia, districts of Macedonia, Northern Greece, are hereby presented. A total of 1150 peach samples were collected pre-harvest (June-September) and were analysed during the period of 2002-2007. Residual levels of selected insecticides, fungicides and acaricides were determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry following solid phase extraction. The monitoring program is extended up to 31 pesticides. Twenty-two of them were measured above detection limit, and 8 of them were found present every year. Insecticides represent the highest incidence amongst pesticide categories (654 positive samples, 56.9%) while chlorpyrifos is the most frequent within the category (491 positive samples). The incidence of pyrethrins was the highest in 2007 (26.8%) while bifenthrin was detected most frequently within this category (67 positive samples in 2007). Traceable levels of pesticides were lower than the Maximum Residues Limits (MRLs) in all peach samples. Variances in incidence and levels of pesticides are attributed to some extent to the weather conditions as well as due to abidance by the guidelines of agronomists during blowing and harvest period. Monitoring in agricultural products could be employed as the first step in a chain of biomonitoring studies in humans, and may also be proven to be a good and ample indicator of exposure.