Artificial diminution of the residual pesticides on horticultural crops using photosensitizers

Photosensitizing activities of some photosensitizers (PS) for the artificial diminution of pesticide residues on horticultural crops were investigated. Five fungicides, iprodione, bitertanol, chlorothalonil, myclobutanil, and dichlofluanid were sprayed on apple and cucumber, followed by the application of each selected photosensitizer, and the samples were collected 0, 1, 3, 7, 15 days after the photosensitizer application and analyzed for the residual amounts. Of the 40 photosensitizers tested, six selected on the basis of the eliminating effect of pesticide residues were PS-1 (aromatic ketone), PS-2 (aromatic amine), PS-3 (quinone), PS-4 (inorganic compound), PS-5 (organic acid salt), and PS-6 (semiconductor photocatalyst). The residual amount of iprodione after 15 days of the application of PS-1 was 74% of that of the control. For bitertanol, the residual amount after 15 days of the application of PS-1 accounted for 78% of that of the control. The residual amounts of chlorothalonil after 1 day of the application of PS-1 and PS-2 accounted for 56 and 54% of those of the control, respectively. The residual amounts of iprodione on cucumber after 3 days of the application of the photosensitizers PS-1 and PS-2 were 44 and 67% of those of the untreated control, respectively. For myclobutanil, the residual amount after 15 days of the application of PS-6 accounted for 45% of that of the control. In case of dichlofluanid, the residual amount after 3 days of the application of PS-1 accounted for 44% of that of the control. Based on the results, PS-1 turned out to be the most promising photosensitizer for the accelerated photodegradation of the above fungicides on apple and cucumber.