Levels of harmful pesticides can be detected in vegetables and animal foodstuffs

Kursk State Medical University experts have developed a method to identify imidacloprid in biomaterials. The Eurasian Patent Office has granted a patent to this solution.

Imidacloprid is widely used in agriculture to eradicate pests. This element is toxic to animals, birds, and humans. Imidacloprid is stored in the soil for up to 100 days after plant cultivation, for example, on potato tubers. A person may feel sick after its consumption. Animals that consume vegetable tops with even small amounts of imidacloprid suffer from appetite and weight loss. As a result, such an animal’s meat loses quality for consumers.

Kursk experts have developed a method for measuring imidacloprid in biomaterials. The analysis can be carried out in clinical, veterinary, and environmental research laboratories. It is possible to detect imidacloprid by selecting an appropriate isolating agent and purification technique.

This method more precisely quantifies the amount of imidacloprid in agricultural plants compared to similar methods, which improves the metrological characteristics of the results obtained.