Effect of different processing techniques on the residue levels of some acaricides and insecticides in gherkin pickles

Abstract

Gherkin plants grown in the greenhouse of Bursa Uludağ University were sprayed with different acaricides and insecticides (spiromesifen, etoxazole, deltamethrin, chlorantraniliprole, acetamiprid) at the legal field application doses in 2023. Fruits that were harvested after the pre-harvest intervals of the applied test pesticides were processed for pickle making. Pickles were produced by fermentation and canning (fresh pack) techniques. Changes in pesticide residue levels were monitored at each processing step. Processing factors for each pesticide were calculated for fermentation and canning techniques. No significant reductions were observed in the concentrations of all pesticides in raw material following harvest. On the other hand, changes in the concentrations of spiromesifen, chlorantraniliprole and acetamiprid were significant throughout both canning and natural fermentation processes. However, neither process affected the concentrations of deltamethrin and etoxazole. The stability of deltamethrin residues may be related to low pH in both types of processes, but this explanation is not suitable for etoxazole due to its increased stability under high pH conditions. Processing factors of all the tested pesticides were lower than 1 for both treatments but varied depending on the processing method and chemical characteristics and degradation mechanisms of the pesticides.