Analysis of Residual Triflumizole, an Imidazole Fungicide, in Apples, Pears and Cucumbers Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography

The present study was conducted to monitor the level of triflumizole residues in fruits (apple and pear) and vegetable (cucumber) samples in order to assess risk posed by the presence of such residues to the consumer. Triflumizole was applied at a recommended dose rate to apple and pear pulps and to a cucumber sample. The samples were collected at harvesting time following several treatments (three and/or four treatments). Triflumizole was extracted with methanol and re-extracted into dichloromethane. The presence of triflumizole was determined by HPLC with UV detection at 238 nm following the cleanup of the extract by open preparative chromatographic column with Florisil. The versatility of this method was evidenced by its excellent linearity (> 0.999) in the concentration range between 0.2 and 4.0 mg/kg. The mean recoveries evaluated from the untreated samples spiked at two different fortification levels, 0.1 and 0.4 mg/kg, and ranged from 87.5 +/- 0.0 to 93.3 +/- 2.6 for the tested fruits and vegetable, respectively, and the repeatability (as relative standard deviation) from three repetitive determinations of recoveries were no larger than 6%. The calculated limit of detection was 0.02 mg/kg and the minimum detectable level of 4 ng for triflumizole was easily detected. When triflumizole was sprayed onto the apple trees three times at 50-40-30 and 40-30-21 days prior to harvesting and four times onto the pear trees at 40-30-21-14 days prior to harvesting, the mean residual amounts of 0.05 and 0.06 mg/kg for apples and pears, respectively, were not detected in all of the treatments. When the cucumber sample was fumigated four times at 7, 5, 3 and 1 day prior to harvesting, the mean residual amount was not detectable. Triflumizole can be used safely when sprayed (wettable powder, 30% active ingredient) and fumigated (10%) 4 times at 14 and 1 day prior to harvesting to protect the fruits and vegetable, respectively.