LC-MS/MS analysis and validation of pesticides residue in vegetables asserted to be organic

The term pesticides refers to a huge group of compounds (over 1000 substances) that have diverse chemical characters and are found in vegetables in a wide range of concentrations. For this reason, pesticide residue analysis is an important task in order to protect human health. A simple and reproducible analytical method has been developed to simultaneously determination of 35 major pesticides residues in vegetables. Following the analysis of 160 vegetable samples harvested in 2023 and 2024, it was found that around 40% of them contained pesticide residues. In some cases, limits were exceeded, even for organic pesticides, and in other cases, residues of obsolete pesticides were detected. Concluding, the level of pesticide residues in vegetables grown in greenhouses or solariums, even if purchased from local producers, can be harmful.