Acknowledgement

I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt obligation towards all

those who have helped me in making this project. Without their active
guidance, help, cooperation and encouragement, I would not have been
able to present the project on time.

I am extremely thankful and pay my sincere gratitude to my teacher

______________________________ for his valuable guidance and
support for completion of this project.

I extend my sincere gratitude to my Principal MR . Nadesan Kangueyan

for the moral support extended during tenure of this project.

I also acknowledgement with a deep sense of reverence, my gratitude

towards my parents, other faculty members of the school and friends for
their valuable suggestions given to me in completing the project.

Date:
Place : Signature of the Student
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project work on

____________________________________________________
based on the curriculum of CBSE has been completed
by ___________________________________ of class - XII
of Aditya Vidyashram Residential School, Puducherry.

The above-mentioned project work has been completed under

my guidance during the academic year 2024 – 25

Signature of the Guide Teacher

 CHEMISTRY
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

PRESENCE OF INSECTICIDES AND

PESTICIDES IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Name: S.SANDHEEP
Class : XII
Section: A

INDEX

➢ Abstract
➢ Introduction
➢ Effects of environment
➢ Theory
➢ History
➢ Classification
• Herbicides
• Fungicides
• Rodenticides
• Insecticides
➢ Alternative in pest control
➢ Requirements
➢ Chemistry experiments procedure
➢ Observation
➢ Conclusion
➢ Bibliography
 ABSTRACT

The intensive development of agriculture

means that more and more toxic organic and
inorganic compounds are entering the
environment because of their widespread use,
stability, selective toxicity and bio accumulation,
pesticides are among the most toxic substances
contaminating the environment. They are
particularly dangerous in fruit and vegetables, by
which people are exposed to them. It is therefore
crucial to monitor pesticide residues in fruits and
vegetables using all available analytical methods.
We present results from the literature in the
context of maximum residue levels(MRLs) of
target pesticides in fruits and vegetables samples.
We also discuss about the presence of pesticides
and insecticides in vegetables and fruits.
 INTRODUCTION

Pesticides are a numerous and diverse

group of chemical compounds, which are used to
eliminate pests in agriculture and households.
They enable the quantities and the quality of crops
and food to be controlled, and help to limit the
many human diseases transmitted by insect or
rodent vector. However, despite their many
merits, pesticides are some of the most toxic,
environmentally stable and mobile substances in
their environment. Their presence in food is
particularly dangerous. With their environmental
stability, ability to bio accumulate and toxicity,
pesticides may place the human body at greater
risk of disease and poisoning. Pesticides enter the
environment in various form like powders,
moistened powders, powders for preparing
aqueous solution and concentrates for making up
emulsions or sprays.
Pesticides are of enormous importance in increasing
the yields and quality of agricultural products. They
are used to:

❖ Control the numbers of pests destroying

whole plants or their parts
❖ Increase the production of animal and plant
biomass
❖ Combat micro organisms causing farm
produce to rot and to decay
❖ Combat algae, bacteria, fungi and weeds
❖ Kill harmful organisms in farm buildings,
the home, hospitals, stores and vehicles.
❖ The widespread use of pesticides not only
contaminates water, soil and air but also
cause them to accumulate in crops(eg fruit
and vegetables).
❖ Pesticides are transported mainly by rain
and wind from their points of application to
neighbouring crops and land, where their
presence may be undesirable or harmful.
The quantities of pesticides in any particular
region depend to a large extent on the
intensity of pesticide. Application and the
types of crops grown there. Combat animal
pests damaging crops (eg mites, aphids,
insects, larvae and nematodes).
❖ Stimulate or inhibit plant growth processes
❖ Make possible the action of other
substances, counteract growths on boats and
ships
❖ Combat animal pests damaging crops.
 EFFECT ON ENVIRONMENT

Pesticides have many advantages, but they also do

not much harm to the environment. In the view of
both positive and negative effects of pesticides; we
should aim to achieve full selectively of their action.
Nonetheless, the latest studies show that pesticides
still constitute a hazard to the environment and
human health.

Each year, 140,000tons of pesticides are sprayed

on to crops in the European union (EU) alone. Fruit
and vegetable are the crops most likely to be
contaminated by pesticides, particularly grapes,
citrus fruits and potatoes.
According to date from the EUs pesticide action
network, as of 2008, some 350 different pesticides
were detected in food produced in the EU. More
than 5 % of products contained pesticides at levels
exceeding the EU s maximum permitted
level(MPL). The diversity of their chemical
structure action and the diversity of their chemical
structure, action and the diversity of their chemical
structures, action and which they can be
categorised:

❖ Toxicity
❖ Purpose of application
❖ Chemical structure
❖ Environment stability and
❖ The pathway by which they penetrate
target organisms.
 Structurally, they can be divided into inorganic
and organic compounds; the inorganic
herbicides and inorganic fungicides, while the
organic comprise organochlorine,
organophosphorous pesticides(OPPs) parathion,
chloropyriphous, diazinon, dementon, 5-methyl,
phosalone, fonofos, metamidofos,
monocroptophos.
 They include all organic compounds
containing phosphorous and are used to combat
pests in industrial plantations, orchards and
vegetables cultivation. OPPs usually have an
ester structure, decomposing fairly easily on the
surface and interiors of plant, and in the soil.
Their toxicity depends on inhibiting the activity
of enzymes controlling the functions of the
nervous system, mainly acetylcholinesterase.
They permanently bind the group hydroxylating
the enzyme, which prevents acetylcholinesterase
from decomposing and act through contact or
systemically. Blockage of cholinesterase
activity causes the amount of acetylcholine at
the synapses to increase, leading to a state of
hyperarousal, and paralysis the muscles and the
main respiratory centre.
 Theory
In the decade, there has been a tremendous
increase in the guilds of various crops to meet the
demand of our growing world population. This
great feat has been achieved by adopting new
methods of forming and by expensive sue of
fertilizers and , A pesticides is any substance is
mixture of substance intended for preventing,
destroying repelling or mitigating any pest. A
pesticide may be a chemical substances, biological
agent antimicrobial disinfectant or device used
against any pest.
Although there are also drawbacks, such as potential
to humans and other animal. The term includes
substances intended for use as a plant growth.
Farmers use insecticides to protect their crops from
insect damage. In urban areas, public health officials
use them to fight mosquitoes and that insect carry
germs. People use insecticides indoor to control
pests and ants cockroaches.
 History
Since before 2oBC, humans have utilized
pesticides protect their crops. The first known
pesticides was mental sulphur dusting used in
ancient summer about 4500 years ago in ancient
Mesopotamia. By the 15th century, toxic
chemicals such as arsenic, mercury and led
being applied sulphate was extracted from
tobacco leaves for use an insecticide. The 19th
century saw the introduction of two more
natural pesticides, pyrethrum, which is derived
from chrysanthemims, rotenone which is
derived from the root of tropical vegetables.
In the 1940s, manufacture began to produce
large amounts of synthetic pesticides and their
use become widespread. Some sources consider
the 1940 and 1950s to have been the start of the
“pesticides era”. Pesticide use has increased 50
field since 1950 and 2.3 million tonnes of
pesticides are now used each year.
Classification:-

Classification

Pesticides classified according to the pests

they control. The four main types of
pesticides are:-
 Alternatives in pest control
Continuing problems arising from the wide
spread use of board spectrum insecticide creates a
dilemma how best to control pest and at the
sometime how to remove environmental hazards.
Restriction on use of pesticides and substitution of
pests on controlling use of pesticides is by far the
best method.
Restrictions can mean simply more limited use or
total banning of chemicals.

Many countries have limited or banned the use of

DDT and other chlorinated hydro carbons insecticide
but this group of chemicals is widely used mainly in
the third world countries.
The US department of agriculture has campaigned
for the safe use of pesticides but from environment
point of view no broad spectrum biocide can be
used. Tradition insecticides such as pyrethrum or
non persistent chemicals such as carbonate seven are
now very widely used and totally new types of pest
control are used.

Control of insects by synthetic growth hormones

is also effective in limited situation but is better
described as on active area of biological research
than a general alternate to pesticide use. The
technique use extracts of juvenile hormone or their
synthesized mimics.
 Experiment Requirements
❖ Mortar
❖ Pestle
❖ Beakers
❖ Funnel
❖ Glass rod
❖ Filter paper
❖ China dish
❖ Water bath
❖ Tripod stand
❖ Fusion tubes
❖ Knife
❖ Test tube
❖ Samples of fruits and vegetables
❖ Alcohol
❖ Sodium metal
❖ Ferric chloride solution
❖ Distilled water
❖ Dilute sulphuric acid.
 Procedure

1. Heat a small piece of sodium in a fusion tubes, till it

melts. Then take different kinds of fruit and
vegetables and cut them into small piece
separately.

2. Transfer the cut piece of various fruits and

vegetables in mortar separately and crush them.

3. Take different beaker of each kind of fruits and

vegetables and place the crushed fruits and
vegetable in these beakers, and add 10ml of alcohol
to each or these. Stir well and filter collect the
filtrate in separate china dishes.

4. Evaporate the alcohol by heating china dishes one

by one over water bath and let the residue dry in an
oven.

5. One of the above residue from china dish to the

fusion tube and heat till red hot. Drop the hot fusion
tube in china dish containing about 110ml of
distilled water. Break the tube and boil the contents
 of the china dish for about 5mintute to cool and
filter solution. Collect the filtrate.

6. To the filtrate add 1ml freshly prepared ferrous

sulphate solution and warm the contents. Then, add
2-3 drops of ferric chloride solution and acidity with
the dilute hydrochloric acid if a blur or green
precipitate or colouration is obtained, it indicated
the presence of nitrogen containing insecticide.

7. Repeat the test of nitrogen for residue obtained

from other fruits and vegetable and record
observation.
 OBSERVATION

Serial Name of fruit or Test for presence Presence of

No. vegetable of nitrogen insecticide or
pesticide
1. Tomato +ve yes
2. Grapes +ve yes
3. carrot -ve No
4. Potato +ve yes

CONCLUSION:
Thus from the above experiment
we conclude that the fruits and vegetables that
we consume especially grapes, tomato and
potato contain nitrogen containing insecticides
and pesticides

Bibliography:-
1. www.encyclopedia.com
2. www.wikipedia.com

3. Britannica encyclopedia
4. Practical manual in chemistry for
class XII