MEASUREMENT OF CHEMICAL PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN CAPSICUM GROWN IN SOUTH INDIA

Capsicum (also known as peppers) is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae.Capsicum grown in five districts of Karnataka (Bangalore urban, Bangalore rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Ramanagara) were analyzed for 20 pesticide residues by Gas liquid Chromatography equipped with ECD and FCD. Recovery studies performed at 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0mg kg-1 fortification levels of each compound and recoveries obtained ranged from 743%-97% with relative standard deviation lower than 7.5%. The method showed the good linearity over the range assessed 0.01-1.0mg kg-1 respectively. Capsicum was analyzed for acephate, chlorphyriphos, dichlorvos, phorate, deltamethrin, fenvalerate and cyfluthrin-ȕ residues. Except phorate none of the residues in capsicum crossed the MRL. Phorate was detected in samples from Ramanagara district while 12.5% samples from Bangalore rural, chikkaballapura and Kolar district showed phorate residues exceeding the MRL value of 0.05mg kg-1. Cyfluthrin-ȕ residue is in higher proportion in capsicum samples from Bangalore rural than Bangalore urban. It is therefore required to investigate extensively the monitoring studies covering all the vegetables crops from different agro-climatic zones of Karnataka to know the exact status of pesticide contamination.