Abstract
The residue distribution ratio of pesticides among the flesh, stem and leaves of hot peppers were investigated to assure the safety of pepper powder and pepper leaves. Mixed solutions of chlorothalonil (wettable powder), kresoximmethyl (water dispersible granules) and procymidone (wettable powder) were applied once onto pepper plants in a plastic film house. After 7 days, the fruits and leaves were harvested and the fruits were divided into the flesh and stems. Pesticide residues in each pepper part were then analyzed by gas chromatography. The results showed that the concentration ratios of the chemicals in the flesh:stem and flesh:leaf ranged from 1:2-5 and 1:11-39, respectively, depending on the chemical evaluated. The observed flesh:stem ratio indicates that the pesticide content of the pepper powder product can increase by 20% if pepper stems are included in the powder product. The Korea Food and Drug Administration does not set a pesticide maximum residue level (MRL) for pepper leaves if a residue ratio in leaves over flesh is more than ten times. Results from this study support non-MRL status on the pepper leaves for the studied pesticides. Additionally, we recommend that the chlorothalonil product of a wettable powder type include the phrase "prohibition of distribution or sale for pepper leaves as food" because chlorothalonil highly resided in pepper leaves as more than twenty-four times that is a criterion level to determine an inclusion of the phrase in the label of pesticide product.
Chlorothalonil, kresoxim-methyl 및 procymidone 농약성분은 고추 과육 대 꼭지에서의 잔류농도의 비율이 농약성분에 따라 1:2-5로서 고춧가루에 꼭지가 혼입될 경우 고춧가루 중 농약 잔류량이 약 20%만큼 상승할 수 있는 것으로 나타났다. 그러므로 고춧가루의 안전성 확보를 위해서는 고춧가루 제조 시 꼭지가 혼입되지 않도록 해야 할 것이다. 고추 과육 대 고춧잎에서는 실험 농약성분 3종의 잔류농도 비율이 농약성분에 따라 1:11-39로 나타났다. 이것은 현재 실험 농약 3종의 고춧잎에 대한 잔류허용기준의 비설정 조치가 기준 설정 여부의 판단기준에 부합되는 것임을 말한다. 그러나 chlorothalonil 수화제의 경우 고춧잎 식용금지 문구가 부재한데 이것은 식용금지 문구 포함 여부의 판단기준에 부합되지 않으므로 이에 대한 재검토가 필요하다.
