In this study, the monitoring of pesticide residues, which show potential for environmental contamination, in center-pivot irrigated areas in the Brazilian cerrado, was performed. The pesticides monitored were acephate, atrazine, azoxystrobin, buprofezin, carbofuran, cyproconazole, chlorpyrifos, difenoconazole, diuron, imidacloprid, malathion, methamidophos, metolachlor, metribuzin, monocrotophos, monuron, thiamethoxam, and triazophos. Surface water samples were collected upstream and downstream of Tijunqueiro dam. The subsurface water in piezometric wells was drilled in the surroundings of the irrigated area; fish and sediment were collected in the dam. The technique of solid phase extraction (SPE) was used for the extraction of water samples, the matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) for the sediment samples and QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) for the fish samples. The multiresidue methods used were accurate and precise for most pesticides monitored by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Atrazine was detected in two of the subsurface water samples.

Tomatoes are widely consumed and most often without cooking, therefore it is important to estimate the reduction of residues using simple washing procedures. An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of household processing such as: washing with water, washing with 10% of vinegar solution and washing with 10% of sodium bicarbonate solution on pesticide residue levels of acetamiprid, azoxystrobin, diflubenzuron, dimethoate, fipronil, imidacloprid, procymidone and thiamethoxam, in spiked tomato samples. The amount of residue remaining in the peel and pulp was also investigated. The pesticide residues were monitored using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction and analysed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS) in dynamic multiple-reaction monitoring mode (DMRM). The effect of the number of washing treatments (n = 3) and control, with six replicates, differed significantly for all pesticides evaluated (n = 8), but despite washing, fipronil residues were not removed from the tomato samples. Overall, washing with water or other solutions, and peeling before consumption are shown to reduce pesticide residues in tomatoes.