What is a Pesticide? Classification and Analysis Methods
Classification of Pesticides
What is a pesticide?
Chemical substances used to protect agricultural products from pests are defined as “
pesticides”. Pesticides are not pesticides used in pure form. They are usually used in the form of specially prepared preparations. However, they can leave residues in products in case of misuse or overuse. Therefore, pesticide analysis is of great importance for food safety.
Classification of Pesticides:
Classification according to the species they affect and their areas of use:
- Insecticides: Those that kill insects
- Rodendicides: Rodenticides
- Fungicides: Those that kill fungi
- Bactericides: Those that kill bacteria
- Mitisites: The ones that kill ticks
- Larvicides: Those that kill larvae
- Nematocytes: The ones that kill worms
- Acaricides: The ones that kill spiders
- Molluscids: Those that kill snails
- Herbicides: Killing weeds
However, they are also divided into different groups according to their chemical structure. The most common ones are organochlorine pesticides, organophosphate pesticides, carbamates.
Organochlorine Pesticides
This group of pesticides consists of carbon, hydrogen and chlorine atoms. They are banned in many countries because of their long-lasting effects on the environment and their bioaccumulative properties.
Examples: DDT, aldrin, lindane, dieldrin
Organophosphate Pesticides
They are phosphorus-containing compounds. They are highly toxic to humans and animals. They can affect the nervous system and cause paralysis.
Examples: Malathion, parathion, methyl parathion
Carbamates
These pesticides, which are carbonic acid derivatives, kill insects by affecting the nervous system. They are less persistent than organophosphate pesticides.
Examples: Carbaryl, aldicarb
Pesticides grouped according to species and chemical structure can include each other. For example, an organochlorine pesticide can also be a herbicide.
How to Analyze Pesticides
Pesticide analyzes are usually performed using high sensitivity devices. These instruments can detect pesticide residues in food samples even at very low concentrations. Some commonly used analysis methods are:
- Gas Chromatography (GC): Used for the analysis of volatile and semi-volatile pesticides.
- Liquid Chromatography (LC): Used for the analysis of polar and ionizable pesticides.
- Mass Spectrometry (MS): It is used to determine the chemical structure of compounds and detect them even at very low concentrations.
Pestist Analysis
In pesticide analysis, the amount of sample taken for analysis and homogenization of the sample is an important consideration in terms of determining the residue in food. Various extraction methods are used to separate pesticides from the sample. As Nanolab, we perform analyzes with fast, effective and safe international methods. Analysis results are compared with the maximum residue limits (MRL) specified in the relevant legislation. If the analysis results are below the MRL values, the food is considered safe. Otherwise, it is not suitable for food consumption. In addition, for some processed products (dried strawberries), the processing factor database is used for evaluation.
Processing factors are determined specifically on a product-pesticide basis. They can be found in the
FAO/
WHO Joint Movement on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), EU documents, European Food Safety Authority (
EFSA) reports, processing factor lists from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), national pesticide assessment reports and other scientific publications.
When it is an input to complex products, no processing factor is used. This is because it is not clear from which input material (raw material or auxiliary material) the pesticide is derived, and therefore no assessment is made.
For more information, please contact us.
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