Processing Factors and Removal Ratios of Select Pesticides in Hot Pepper Leaves by a Successive Process of Washing, Blanching, and Drying

Six pesticides were determined in hot pepper leaves after successive processing steps of washing, blanching, and drying. The tested pesticides included dichlofluanid, flusilazole, folpet, iprodione, ${\lambda}$-cyhalothrin, and lufenuron. Each pesticide was singly applied to the leaves of the pepper plants, which were being cultivated in a greenhouse. The processing factors were dependent on the type of pesticide, and were in the following ranges: 0.09-0.73 by washing, <0.00-0.48 after blanching, and <0.00-3.30 after drying. Only lufenuron showed a processing factor of more than 1, at 3.30 in dried leaves, while the processing factors of the other pesticides were less than 1. The removal ratios of the tested pesticides by washing ranged from 27 to 90%. The blanching step increased their removals by 10-25%. However, drying did not have an effect on residue reduction. Finally, after proceeding to the drying step, removal ratios ranged from 85 to 100%, with the exception of lufenuron at 47%.