In 2001, a total of 2125 samples of plant origin were analysed for residues of the most commonly used pesticides in Poland. Detectable residues were found in 18% of the samples, while in about 0.9% of the samples the residues exceeded national or/and EU harmonised Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). The long-term (chronic) dietary intake, based on monitoring data, was calculated for 7 pesticides in 9 commodities. The intake of 1 of the pesticide analysed (endosulfan/black currant combination) exceeded 1 % of Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) indicating a sufficient margin of safety for the adult consumer. The short-term (acute) intake was estimated for 19 pesticides in 12 commodities according to the European Commission recommendations. The ADI level was exceeded for toddlers in 7 cases, carbendazim in mushroom, linuron in carrot, chlorothalonil in greenhouse tomato, tolylfluanid and EBDC in strawberry and flusilazole and diazinon in apple. In all cases, however, the safety factor of 2 for a toddler still existed.

Disappearance of chlorothalonil, dichlofluanid, vinclozolin and carbendazim, as active ingredients of agrochemicals commonly used for the protection of greenhouse vegetables against fungal diseases, was studied comparatively. It was found that initial residues of chlorothalonil and dichlofluanid dropped by halfwithin 4 and 2 weeks after treatment, respectively, while the deposits of vinclozolin and carbendazim were the most persistent and after 5 weeks still constituted 50% of their initial levels. Therefore, the obtained results indicated that iprodione, procymidone and vinclozolin should ensure the longest effective protection of greenhouse tomatoes while chlorothalonil, and especially dichlofluanid, for the shortest.

The purpose of this paper is to estimate levels of pesticide residues present on or in greenhouse vegetables of che south-eastern Poland. Samples taken by trained inspectors of Inspectorates of Plant Protection (national monitoring program) and by personnel of the Experimental Station (surveillance programme) were generally analysed unwashed and unpeeled. The results obtained were compared to their MRLs and then were used for che assessment of che long (chronic) and short-term (acute) exposure of adult consumers. Detectable residues (above limie of determination) were found in 45%, 36%, and 20% of che tomato, pepper and cucumber samples (national monitoring program), respectively, and in 78%, and 52% of che tomato and cucumber samples (surveillance programme). Long-term intake of residues by an adult consumer of the south-eastern Poland did not exceed the level of 0.2% of che ADI, indicating that sufficient margin of safety exist for the consumer. From shore-term exposure, only consumption of tomatoes containing DTCs and chlorochalonil residues were close to levels of respective ADIs.

The aim of this research was to prepare the basis for the certification of the apple orchard protection program by determining disappearance models for active ingredients (AIs) of plant protection products (PPPs) in fruits. Field trials were carried out in a conventional apple orchard protected with PPPs in accordance with the currently adopted program. Residues of their AIs were determined using Agilent GC-MS/MS 7000D and LC-MS/MS 6470 QQQ, and their decreases were expressed by the exponential formula: R _t = R ₀ × ^{e–k × t}. Of all the AIs found in mature fruits, captan disappeared at the fastest rate [t _(1/2) in the range of 9 to 13 days], followed by fluopyram [t _(1/2) = 13 days], tebuconazole [t _(1/2) = 14 days] and carbendazim [t _(1/2) in the range of 24 to 32 days]. With the exception of dithiocarbamates and some fungicides (e.g., Captan 80 WDG) based on captan and methyl thiophanate, other insecticides and fungicides currently recommended can be used up to 3 months before harvest practically with virtually no restrictions. From July 15 to August 15, the chemicals effective at application rates not exceeding 0.3 kg of AI per ha should be used. To protect apples against storage diseases, PPPs that are effective at a dose ≤ 0.1 kg AI per ha (e.g., certain triazoles or strobilurins) and applied not later than 1 month before harvest, should be used.

A field trial on the transfer of pyrimethanil, cyprodinil and cyflufenamid residues from apple trees of Idared cultivar to hives by honeybees Apis mellifera was carried out. Two days after spraying (Faban 500 SC and Kendo 50 EW), and on the day of spraying (Chorus 50 WG), the quantities of residues on leaves and flowers of apple trees and pollen were as follows: pyrimethanil: 1.45 μg per cm2 of leaves, 11.51 μg per single flower and 7.18 μg · g ⁻¹ of pollen, cyprodinil:1.35, 8.64 and 7.94 μg, and cyflufenamid: 0.064, 0.266 and 0.11 μg, respectively. All of them subsequently disappeared exponentially. Two days after, and on the day of spraying, pyrimethanil (1.81 μg · g ⁻¹), cyprodinil (up to 0.55 μg · g ⁻¹) and cyflufenamid (0.04 μg · g ⁻¹) were found in worker bees. Residues of all used chemicals were found in the brood, honey and wax samples. The residues of pyrimethanil, cyprodinil and cyflufenamid in worker bees exceeded the level of 0.2% of the LD50, which indicates that their application rates (doses) are safe for the honey bee.