Afnan Wael Ibrahim Alanqar¹, Mohammed A. Meetani^1,

Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) are among the top trees cultivated in the UAE, and dates are one of the most consumed fruits. Due to the high demand and to secure production, dates farmers depend on the application of various types of chemicals, including pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. These chemicals find their way into water, soil, and air,ultimately affecting the plant parts, including date fruits. Contamination of date fruit with levels higher than the threshold (Maximum Residue Levels (MRL)) poses a risk to the consumers’ health. In this work, a new method was developed for quantifying the levels of 12 multiclass pesticides in 26 date samples using QuEChERS sample preparation technique followed by LC-(+ESI)-MS/MS. The presence of carbosulfan pesticide was evident in all samples and was determined at levels exceeding the MRL value (10 µg/kg) in 15 out of 26 samples. Azoxystrobin and EPN were also detected above their MRL (10 µg/kg) in two and one sample, respectively. Metalaxyl was found at a concentration which is almost 5 times its MRL (50 µg/kg) in one sample. Chlorpyrifos and Phenthoate, each in a different sample, reached high concentrations of 9.1136 µg/kg, and 7.8062 µg/kg respectively, but did not reach the threshold limit of 10 µg/kg. All the other six pesticides (Thiophanate-methyl, Tribnuron-methyl, Fluazip-p-butyl, Dimethoate, Pirimiphos-methyl, and Triazophos) were found to be at low concentration levels, much below their MRLs. This study indicates the need for increasing awareness among farmers on safer practices regarding the application of agricultural chemicals and more stringent monitoring and enforcement of the relevant laws.

LC–ESI (+)–MS/MS, Multi-class Pesticides, Dates, QuEChERS