Degradation of the acaricides abamectin, flufenoxuron and amitraz on Saudi Arabian dates

Degradation of the acaricides abamectin, flufenoxuron and amitraz on date palms, Phoenix dactylefera var. Nabout Seif, grown in Saudi Arabia was studied during the post-harvest interval (PHI) under the local weather and soil conditions. The initial deposit of abamectin residues on dates was 0.09 mg/kg, which declined to 0.03 (66%) and 0.02 mg/kg (88%) after 7 and 14 days of spraying, respectively (PHI = 10 days, MRL = 0.03 mg/kg). The initial deposit of flufenoxuron was 0.68 mg/kg and declined to 0.25 (68%), 0.07 (90%) and 0.03 mg/kg (96%) after 16, 52 and 60 days, respectively (PHI = 50 days, MRL = 0.1 mg/kg). Finally, the initial deposit of amitraz was 0.34 mg/kg which declined to 0.02 mg/kg (95%) and was not detected (100%) after 21 and 30 days, respectively (PHI = 28 days, MRL = 0.01 mg/kg). The acceptable daily intake (ADI) for fruits and vegetables set by FAO/WHO for the three acaricides tested was based on regular and average consumption of fruit, however, in Saudi Arabia, and other neighboring countries, natives consume more date (more than 10 times) than an average person living outside this region. Such high date consumption could lead to a higher risk of exposure to pesticides, especially in children and other vulnerable individuals.