Dissipation of six fungicides in greenhouse-grown tomatoes with processing and health risk

Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the dissipation rate kinetics and estimate the behavior of selected pesticides after washing, peeling, simmering, and canning of tomato expressed as processing factor (PF). Two varieties (Marissa and Harzfeuer) were treated by six fungicides: azoxystrobin, boscalid, chlorothalonil, cyprodinil, fludioxonil, and pyraclostrobin at single and double dose and risk assessment defined as hazard quotient was performed. The QuEChERS method was used for sample preparation followed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The dissipation of fungicides approximately fitted to a first-order kinetic model, with half-life values ranging from 2.49 and 2.67 days (cyprodinil) to 5.00 and 5.32 days (chlorothalonil) for Marissa and Harzfeuer variety, respectively. Results from processing studies showed that treatments have significant effects on the removal of the studied fungicides for both varieties. The PFs were generally less than 1 (between 0.01 and 0.90) and did not depend on variety. The dietary exposure assessed based on initial deposits of application at single and double dose on tomatoes and concentration after each process with PF correction showed no concern to consumer health. Our results would be a useful tool for monitoring of fungicides in tomatoes and provide more understanding of residue behavior and risk posed by these fungicides.