Methyl bromide residues in fumigated mangos.
Stein E. R., Wolfenbarger D. A.
Author Affiliation: Subtropical Agricultural Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 267, Weslaco, TX 78596, USA.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 37 : 1507-1509
Abstract : In a laboratory study, 3 varieties of mango (Haden, Tommy Atkins and Kent) imported from Mexico were fumigated in temperature-controlled chambers with methyl bromide at 16, 48, 56 and 64 g/m³ to determine the residue levels using gas chromatography. The amount of recovered methyl bromide averaged 95.60±4.43% and 96.52±3.00% in the pulp and peel, resp. Methyl bromide residue concn in the peel and flesh of the mango were above 20 mg/kg at 0.17 h after fumigation at the highest dose: 1 h after fumigation the residue levels were below 15 mg/kg. Analysis of the peel and flesh at 0.17, 1, 2, 5, 24 and 48 h after fumigation indicated that methyl bromide residue levels followed exponential regression equations, decreasing rapidly during the first hour followed by a gradual decline.