Pesticide Analyzer Reference - writeframeofmind.biz

Introduction
Synthetic organic chemicals made their agricultural debut in the 1930’s when the compound 2-methyl-4,6-dinitrophenol (DNOC) was used for weed
control. The first patent was issued for a dithiocarbamate fungicide by Robert Zimdahl in 1978. 15 However, widespread use of pesticides began in 1939 when
the insecticidal properties of DDT were discovered and used during World War II. 14 In 1944, it was proposed that DDT be used to eradicate malaria after
successfully protecting soldiers from mosquitoes that spread the disease. From 1945 to 1948, after spraying half a million pounds over 135,000 miles of Italy,
the malarial death in that country was reduced to zero. 11
Although there is no singular event that raised the public’s awareness of the dangers and risks of DDT, in 1962 an American biologist wrote Silent Spring,
which had a significant impact. The book describes the long-term effects that synthetic chemicals have on the environment, people’s ambivalence toward using
pesticides for pest control, and the risks these chemicals pose to the health of animals and humans. 2 The public outcry that resulted from the book led to
international regulations restricting the manufacture, use, and residue of pesticides in feed and food, as well as emission into the environment. Despite the
regulations, however, synthetic pesticides continue to be used for pest control in the agriculture industry all over the world.
As the human population increases, so does the need for more and more food. Eventually, demand will exceed supply and, in order to sustain ourselves, food
will become a global commodity. As a result, synthetic pesticides have evolved from being generically used for the chlorination of hydrocarbon bulk material
into the specific purpose of eradicating and degrading pests. Decades ago, pesticides were applied in high concentrations of active ingredient per hectare, but
today we can get the same or better results from a few grams. From an analytical perspective, the apolar lipophilic pesticides have gradually been replaced by
more polar compounds with specific activity resulting in the very wide range of active compounds of different chemical nature – a true challenge for residue
analysis.
Because of the high agricultural demand for pesticides, coupled with regulatory pressure, a broad array of synthetic chemicals now exists in the environment.
As a consequence, the food safety and environmental analysis of pesticides must keep pace with the ever-increasing demand for the analysis of highly complex
mixtures of active compounds and byproducts. The need to quantify pesticides at trace concentrations in difficult matrices requires highly developed analysis
concepts that provide increased selectivity, sensitivity and bandwidth to detect and quantify such a large number of compounds. International pesticide
regulations cover several hundred pesticides, including more than a thousand regulated active components for food and feed. Pesticide databases have
compiled a record number of more than 1,800 compounds that are potentially a subject for analysis. 5 In the United States, California has 925 registered
pesticide active ingredients that are marketed by 11,947 individual products. 14
Thermo Scientific Pesticide Analyzer Reference 1