Residues of insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides on Ontario-grown vegetables, 1980-1985.

Between 1980 and 1985, 354 composite vegetable samples representing 9 vegetable commodities were collected from farm deliveries to the market place in Ontario, Canada. All samples were analyzed for insecticides, 275 for fungicides, and 135 for herbicides. The analyses included organochlorine, organophosphorus, synthetic pyrethroid, and N-methylcarbamate insecticides; dithiocarbamate, acylalanine, phthalimide, dicarboximide, and other fungicides; and, chlorophenoxy acid, chlorobenzoic acid, bipyridilium, phenylurea, carbamate, and other herbicides. The commodities tested included asparagus, beans, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, sweet corn, and tomatoes. In most samples, pesticide residues were below the detection limits (i.e., 0.005 to 0.1 mg/kg), and most of the positive findings were a fraction (i.e., less than 1 to 20%) of the maximum residue limit (MRL) permitted for each commodity under the Canadian Food and Drugs Act and Regulations. A small number of samples had residues that exceeded the MRL, and these involved aldicarb and linuron on potatoes and chlorobromuron on carrots.