Sensitive and Rapid Method to Estimate Residual Pesticides in Some Local and Imported Apple Cultivars Collected from Eastern North Side of Libya

In this study, residues of some pesticides of (Imidacloprid, Aldicarb, metalaxy, cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, DDA and Endrin) were detected in the two cultivars (Starking and GoIden delicious). The samples were collected from some farms in eastern north of Libya (Shahat, Wardamah and Al-Wasita). Samples of imported apples (Tunisian, Italian and Turkish) were collected from the local supermarkets. The level of pesticide in the apple samples under study were compared with the international permissible limits and according to the specifications. An ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer, rapid, sensitive, efficient, and safe purification extraction method (QUECERS) were used for the determination of pesticides present in apple samples. The limits of detection and quantification of the (UV-Vis) instrument ranged in standard pesticides, where the limits values for cypermethrin were 0.52 and 1.58 µg/ml, chlorpyrifos 0.53 and 1.61 µg/ml, and Imidacloprid 0.64 and 1.95 µg/ml. metalaxyl between 0.27 and 8.32 µg/ml, Aldicarb 0.90 and 2.73 µg/ml, DDA 3.50 and 10.62 µg/ml, 2.74 and 8.32 µg/ml and Endrin 1.89 and 5.73 µg/ml, respectively. The results indicated the presence of residual Chlorpyrifos in some varieties of apple samples. The pesticide residues tested were found to be below safe limits.