Survey of pesticide and pesticide metabolite residues in strawberries marketed in Uruguay

Abstract

Strawberries are consumed worldwide mostly as fresh fruits. During strawberry cultiva-tion, a wide scope of pesticides, primarily fungicides, is used to prevent pest attacks. Aiming to check the safety of strawberries in Uruguay, a first monitoring program (2019-2023) of pesticide and pesticide metabolite residues was conducted. A validated QuEChERS CEN 15662 allowed the LC-MS/MS determination of 41 compounds and the screening of 13 of the most relevant pesticide metabolites. Fifty-eight commercial sam-ples were analyzed; on average four compounds per sample were quantified. The range of concentration was 0.005 to 5 mg kg-1. Seven compounds: carbendazim, chlorpyrifos, cyproconazole, iprodione, prochloraz, pyriproxyfen and propamocarb, consistently ex-ceeded their Maximum Residue Levels according to the European Union. The presence of chlorpyrifos, cyproconazole, prochloraz and pyriproxyfen indicates improper use. Fun-gicides were the most frequently detected pesticides. The main cyprodinil metabolite, CGA304075, was detected in 61% of cyprodinil-positive samples, without any violation. This study highlights the need for ongoing monitoring and rigorous regulatory controls to ensure the safety of strawberry consumption in Uruguay.