Mdg. Garcia et al., DETERMINATION AND DEGRADATION OF METHOMYL IN TOMATOES AND GREEN BEANSGROWN IN GREENHOUSES, Journal of AOAC International, 80(3), 1997, pp. 633-638
A liquid chromatographic (LC) method using UV detection at 233 nm was
used to study the degradation of methomyl in tomatoes and green beans
grown in greenhouses, A liquid-liquid extraction with CH2Cl2-methanol
(90 + 10, v/v) and a cleanup step with Florisil were combined with LC
to isolate, recover, and quantitate the pesticide, Average recoveries
obtained at spike levels of 0.03 and 0.40 mg/kg were 83.2-84.7% for to
matoes and 83.3-87.5% for green beans, Determination limits were 0.03
mg/kg for tomatoes and 0.01 mg/kg for green beans, Levels of methomyl
residues were studied in tomatoes and green beans grown in an experime
ntal greenhouse to establish the effect of the kind of greenhouse, app
lication dose, species grown, and climatic conditions on the degradati
on of this pesticide, Analysis of variance showed that doses did not a
ffect the response, The half-life, however, is greater in a flat-roof
greenhouse than in an asymmetric-roof greenhouse and is significantly
longer for green beans than for tomatoes and longer in winter than in
spring. A preharvest time of about 5 days may be suitable for green be
ans sprayed with methomyl, Tomatoes show residue levels at the time of
application lower than Spanish minimum residue levels.