Pesticides, alkaloids (tropane, pyrrolizidine)

Pesticides, a word mentioned quite a lot lately in connection with their effects on our health. Pesticides are products designed to protect plants, thereby indirectly increasing agricultural production. Their use boomed in the 1930s. Many of them were later found to be toxic and quite persistent (they remain in the food chain for a long time, accumulating in the human body). Some of them were therefore gradually banned (e.g. DDT).

The legislation sets limits for residual amounts of pesticides in drinking water and in a wide range of foods of plant origin, as pesticide substances can and, according to our experience, actually occur everywhere.

Our laboratories have state-of-the-art equipment:

• Triple quadrupole liquid chromatograph - LC/MS/MS
• Triple quadrupole gas chromatograph - GC/MS/MS

and experienced professionals, which means we are able to offer the possibility of determining a significant number of pesticide substances and their metabolites in many types of food and in water.

Besides the aforementioned pesticides, we are also able to determine other substances in similar matrices – tropane and pyrrolizidine alkaloids, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and other contaminants

Who are our clients?

• Producers, suppliers of drinking water
• Producers of food with ingredients of plant origin
• Laboratories with a lower level of instrumentation
• Public authorities/inspectorates for the food processing industry
• Importers of food products
• Trade organisations, chains with a food assortment
• Ecologists and environmental workers
• Private persons

What do we offer?

• Determination of pesticide substances in a wide range of food products
• Determination - screening of pesticides in raw and drinking water
• Determination of other substances of plant origin – tropane alkaloids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food
• Determination of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in food

Legislation

Pesticides include:

Plant protection products - EC Regulation No. 1107/2009

Biocidal products - EU Regulation No. 528/2012

In relation to food:

Decree No. 381/2007 Sb., on the establishment of the maximum permissible limits of residues of individual types of pesticides in food and food raw materials as amended by Regulation No. 272/2008 Sb. and Regulation No. 387/2008 Sb.