ETHYLENEBISDITHIOCARBAMATE AND ETHYLENETHIOUREA RESIDUES IN APPLES AND APPLE PRODUCTS FOLLOWING SPRAYS OF MANCOZEB AND METIRAM

In 1975, residues of ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (EBDC) in fresh apples harvested 42 days after receiving the last of nine sprays of the fungicides mancozeb and metiram were 1.70 and 0.50 ppm, respectively. With both fungicides, residues of ethylenethiourea (ETU) were at the analytical sensitivity level of 0.01 ppm. On processing into apple products there was some conversion from EBDC to ETU. Canned apple juice and sauce from mancozeb-sprayed apples both contained 0.05 ppm ETU, while the level in dried apple pomace was 0.17 ppm. Similar levels were present in products prepared from metiram-sprayed apples. In 1976 with both fungicides, the EBDC fresh fruit residues were <1.0 ppm in apples receiving one, two, three or four cover sprays and ETU was not detected except for a trace in the sample of apples receiving three cover sprays of mancozeb.