Sec-butylamine residues in citrus, pome fruits and bananas from post-harvest treatments

Abstract

Sec-butylamine residues were determined for post-harvest treatments for control of citrus green and blue mould (Penicillium digitatum Sacc. and P. italicum Wehmer), blue mould of pome fruits (P. expansum Thom.) and black-end (Colletotrichum musae (Berk and Curt.) Arx) and squirter (Nigrospora sphaerica Sacc.) of banana fruits. The treatments were as follows: 0.5% bulk bin dip of citrus and pome fruit. 1.0% dip of bananas packaged in wooden boxes. 1.0% flood of citrus and bananas on packing line. A combined 0.5% dip and 1.0% flaod of citrus. Residues in citrus fruit (orange, tangor, mandarin, grapefruit, lemon) ranged from 0.88-7.65 ¦g g-1 and were well within the 30 ¦g g-1 recommended limit of the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting of Experts on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. The single bulk dip gave two to three times higher residues than the combined dip and flood treatment. Pome fruit residues ranged from 2.75-1 1.6 ¦g g-1, with pears (1 1.2-1 1.6 ¦g g-1) having 3-4 times higher residues than apples (2.75-3.61 ¦g g-1). Whole green or ripened Cavendish bananas contained residues ranging from 15.1-27.6 ¦g g-1, with 2% or less of the residue being found in the pulp. The dipped, boxed single fruits had almost double the residues of flooded hands.