Multiresidue method for captan, folpet, captafol, vinclozolin and iprodione on italian apples and pears by capillary gas–liquid chromatography with electron‐capture detection

Abstract A method is described for the simultaneous determination of residues of five fungicides used for foliar treatment of apple and pear trees, and for postharvest application. After extraction, the mixture of these fungicides is cleaned‐up on a ‘SEP PAK C18’ cartridge and the components determined by gas‐liquid chromatography with electron‐capture detection. The minimum detectable amounts in apples and pears, on a fresh weight basis, were 0.005mg kg−1 for vinclozolin, 0.010mg kg−1 for captan, folpet and iprodione, and 0.020 mg kg−1 for captafol. The percentage recovery for each fungicide (calculated by analysing four samples of untreated apples and pears, to which varying concentrations of each active ingredient had been added) varied for vinclozolin between 70.0 and 89.2, for captan between 72.0 and 83.8, for folpet between 73.0 and 93.0, for captafol between 70.8 and 91.8, and for iprodione between 75.1 and 97.1.