The dissipation and removal of the etofenprox residue was studied in spring onion grown under greenhouse conditions. Samples of spring onion were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 days after last application, and removal rates of etofenprox by washing and drying processes were measured. Samples were extracted with acetone and partitioned with dichloromethane. The dichloromethane layer was then concentrated, cleaned up with florisil column chromatography, and analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UVD). At the fortification levels of 0.5, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg, recoveries ranged from 92.0 to 107.7%, with a coefficient of variation of 4.3-7.9% (n = 3). The method limit of quantification (MLOQ) was found to be 0.05 mg/kg in spring onion. The half-lives of etofenprox in spring onion were found to be 9.5 and 7.9 days, at the single or double application rates. Removal rates of etofenprox were 21.6-43.9 and 66.6-88.5% by various washing or drying processes, respectively.
Keywords: dissipation; drying process; etofenprox; pesticide residue; washing process.