Rapid Bioassay of Pesticide Residues (RBPR) on Fruits and Vegetable

Abstract

A RBPR (Rapid Bioassay for Pesticide Residues) method is developed by TARI in integrating the AChE test and B.t. test to screen the residues of acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting (neurotoxic) insecticides, EBDC's (ethylene bisdithiocarbamates, the ETU-producing chemicals) and other B.t. inhibiting fungicides on fruits and vegetables. The RBPR (1) can complete the examination of a batch of 50 vegetable samples within 3 hrs or even faster, (2) provides toxicological indication on plants sample with residue of organophosphates, carbamates, EBDC's and other detectable fungicides, and (3) is extremely economic and the material costs only Ca. N.T.$ 4.0 (=U.S.$ 0.15) per test. The sensitivities of RBPR to 20 organophosphorus compounds, 2 carbamates and 12 fungicides were examined, and a RBPR working flow chart was provided. ］臺灣省農業試驗所自民國48年推行蔬菜農藥殘毒生物檢驗以來，因農藥種類激增，蔬菜產銷流程加速且範圍擴大，故再次改進殘毒檢驗技術，期能增加檢驗農藥之種類，減少檢驗過程所需時間以及消除誤判之可能性。本項研究已完成對乙醯膽碱酯酶(Acetylcholinesterase)造成抑制之有機磷劑、氨基甲酸鹽類及混合劑之適用農藥種類及敏感度之測試，內含18種蔬菜上常用及4種非蔬菜使用殺蟲劑。殺菌劑之檢驗主要系針對危險性最高之有機硫磺類優先進行，並以對殺菌劑極敏感之Bacillus屬細菌為檢定菌，最後選定對哺乳類動物安全性極高之Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki為檢定用標準菌，以維護檢驗人員及環境之安全。12種受測之蔬菜用殺菌劑檢測之敏感度略高於法定容許範圍，故經檢出之樣品無誤判之虞。