Improved Method for Determination of the Fungicide Dimethomorph in Vegetables

An improved analytical method for determining the fungicide dimethomorph in vegetables is described. The method involved single extraction with dichloromethane followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) determination. The average recovery rates from vegetable samples spiked with dimethomorph at 10 and 100 mu g kg(-1) (n = 5) ranged between 81 and 96% and with associated relative standard deviations <= 9%. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were below 10 mu g kg(-1) for the three studied matrices, i.e., tomato, cucumber, and onion. Successful application of the method to the analysis of samples with incurred dimethomorph residues has been demonstrated.