
Rapid detection of Thiabendazole pesticide in frozen fruits and vegetables commercialized on Romanian stores

Project financed by UEFISCDI
Project Code: PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-3004
Program: PNCDI III, Program2 – Creșterea competitivității economiei românești prin CDI
Project: Proiect experimental demonstrativ (PED)
Contract No.: PED / 23.10.2020
Project Duration: 10.2020 – 12.2020 and 02.2022 – 12.2023
Project Leader:
Dr. Csilla MOLNÁR
e-mail: csilla.molnar[at]itim-cj[dot]ro
phone: (+40)264-584037, int. 141
fax: (+40)264-420042
National Institute for Research and Development of
Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (INCDTIM)
67-103 Donat Street, 400293, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Project abstract
The extensive use of Thiabendazole (TBZ) pesticide as a preservative to ensure freshness has resulted in its frequent detection in water resources and in soil from fruit and vegetable production areas. The EU Regulation regarding the maximum residue levels for thiabendazole in or on certain products, define the pesticide residues and maximum residue levels in mg/kg in fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. So, pesticides, just like TBZ directly pollute the environment and contaminate foods ultimately being absorbed by the human body. Their residues contain highly toxic substances that have been found to cause serious problems to human health even at very low concentrations. In this project we propose to put into the practice and validate in laboratory a fast, sensitive, prompt and cheap analytical methodology for TBZ assessment in frozen fruits and vegetables, based on the Raman scattering technique, in conjunction with the plasmonic properties of noble metal nanoparticles exploited with the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Therefore, our approach here is to test and validate in laboratory the TBZ detection method for the various frozen fruits and vegetables, comercialized in Roamanian stores, and prospecting the TBZ identification and quantification in frozen products. Plasmonic -based micro-SERS approach will be extended to in situ analysis with highly sensitive portable instruments, opening an avenue for reliable in situ food monitoring programs in Romania.
Objectives
O1. To detect and quantify TBZ using SPR-SERS of the lab-obtained noble metal NPs and to explain the adsorption mechanism in various concentration and pH condition.
O2. To probe the technique for TBZ detection in frozen fruits and vegetables purchased from markets and to assess the detection limit and quantification capability.
O3. To assess the effective molecular recognition of TBZ using a compact, portable Raman platform in markets and to compare the results with the lab-based data.
Team
Dr. Csilla MOLNÁR
Project leader
Scientific Researcher
Dr. Alina Măgdaș
Member
Scientific Researcher I
Dr. Camelia Berghian-Groșan
Member
Scientific Researcher II
Dr. Veronica Floare-Avram
PosDoc
Scientific Researcher III
Dr. Florina Covaciu
Member
Scientific Researcher III
Dr. Ioana Feher
PosDoc
Scientific Researcher III
Ioana Curean
Member
Technician