Advancing physical sciences through scholarship, publishing, and professional fellowship.

𝗣𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱

A recent study published in African Scientific Reports investigated whether the physical and chemical behaviour of common grain-storage pesticides could be used to reduce pesticide residues in foodstuffs through simple aqueous treatment. The researchers studied white beans, red guinea corn, and white maize treated with aluminium phosphide, dichlorvos with chlorpyrifos, and permethrin, focusing on properties such as solubility, density, thermal volatility, and sorption. Dichlorvos with chlorpyrifos showed low aqueous solubility, low density, and high volatility, allowing it to be mobilized and removed through hot-water treatment and decantation, while permethrin and aluminium phosphide required repeated washing and sieving because of their different density and solubility behaviour. Market samples analysed before and after treatment showed substantial reductions in pesticide residues, with many concentrations falling below detection limits or to very low levels. The findings suggest that hot aqueous treatment, decantation, and repeated washing can exploit pesticide kinematic properties to reduce residues in stored grains before cooking.