The chemical structure for most of the targeted dithiocarbamate (DTCs) molecules possess some particularities which allow for multiple approaches to be tested/implemented in order to fulfill the most important research objective of this project: increasing the method selectivity for the DTCs measurements when compared to the official reference method currently applied worldwide for their determination from fruit and vegetable matrices.
Therefore, the four key research directions were tested through the ongoing of the present research project, while the obtained results aloud for the new analytical methodologies to be developed and in-house validated, as following:
• the use of molecular mass sprectrometry (MS) for the determination of DTC molecules per class;
• the use of molecular mass sprectrometry (MS) for the simultaneous determination of the three individually regulated DTCs, thiram, ziram, propineb;
• determination of the DTC degradation products (ethylene thiourea (ETU) and propylene thiourea (PTU)) from fruit and vegetable samples by targeting the sulphur content by the use of elemental MS.
One of the most important achievements of the present research project is that the method selectivity, for the determination of the dithiocarbamate fungicides from food samples currently based on the Single Residue Method for the analysis of dithiocarbamates via their common degradation product carbon disulphide (CS2), will be significantly increased. Research results obtained through the following of this project evidenced that the DTCs determination from fruit and vegetable matrices might be performed in various modes, depending the scope of the analysis:
• the DTCs determination by their class;
• simultaneously multi-residue determination of the three EU regulated DTCs;
• the inclusion in the analysis of the DTCs degradation products.
These results will have a significant impact on the future development and evolution in the field of food safety measures and control when addressing the DTCs regulation.
By bringing in front of the expert scientists in the particular fields of both analytical chemistry of DTCs and regulatory responsible organizations of the developed knowledge through this project ongoing will allow for setting up the inter-laboratories exchanges and potential organizing of the tests between specialized laboratories in this field, but also will setup new reference methodologies in the field of the food safety regarding the food quality and control of the DTC fungicide residues.
