2012 Volume 37 Issue 2 Pages 183-189
Cypermethrin residues in apples were evaluated to consider individual variations from sample-to-sample, field-to-field, and edible-to-inedible portions. The VF (variability factor) values obtained from the 97.5th percentile and the mean pesticide residue levels of 130 individual apple samples were 1.76 and 1.75, respectively, and the highest residue level was approximately 10 times the lowest one. The results suggest that, in order to obtain reliable values of pesticide residue levels, a sufficient number of samples is essential. Regarding field-to-field variability, the highest mean residue level from 8 orchards was approximately 2.3 times that of the lowest. The pesticide residue level determined for an entire fruit was slightly higher than that for the edible portions, and there was no significant statistical difference between the two.
