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Matrix: Crop

Crop sampling and analyses

During the 2021 growing season, crop samples were collected from conventional and organic fields within the ten SPRINT Case Study Sites across Europe. One crop class per CSS was sampled, and one plant species per field at the time of harvest. In CSS 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 9 (Spain, Portugal, France, Croatia, Slovenia, and the Netherlands), a single plant species was sampled per field, whereas CSS 4, 5, 8, and 10 (Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, and Denmark) included multiple plant species. For each sample, crop-specific harvesting products were collected from at least five plants or trees in areas representative of the field, at least 5 m away from the edge. The collected parts were crop-specific following EU regulations, e.g., tubers in potato, leaves in cabbage, flowers in broccoli, grains in cereals, and pitted fruits for stone fruits and olives. Subsamples were pooled to form a composite sample corresponding to a minimum of 100 g dry weight. Samples were stored at −20 °C in thermal boxes and shipped frozen to RECETOX (Brno, Czech Republic) for pesticide residue analysis.

Pesticide residues were analysed using validated LC–MS/MS and GC–MS/MS multi-residue methods, including dedicated methods for glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA. A total of 192 pesticide residues were targeted in crop matrices following strict European quality-assurance procedures to ensure reliable and comparable results.

 Each dot in the graph below shows the total pesticide concentration (i.e., the sum of all detected pesticides) for an individual sample. By clicking on each graph, you can view more in-depth information on the most frequently detected pesticides in the samples, including their median concentrations and the analysis results grouped by detection status and regulatory category.

For visualization, the Y-axis was plotted on a log scale, but all values represent the original measurements.

Relevant Publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139113