ABSTRACT
Plants, the world’s main source of food, are affected
by a number of pests and competition from weeds.
Devastation of crops may be caused by insects, nema-
todes, viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma-like organisms,
fungi, algae, and parasitic higher plants. Therefore,
pesticides play a major role in agriculture, helping
to ensure adequate yields of food crops. However,
they must be used efficiently so that they are both
economically viable and environmentally benign (1). Depending on the target pest, pesticides can be
classified as insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, mol-
luscicides, bactericides, and herbicides. The World
Health Organization (WHO) recommends classifying
pesticides by hazard into five classes on the basis of
LD50 values for rat namely: extremely hazardous (Ia),
highly hazardous (Ib), moderately hazardous (II),
slightly hazardous (III); and unlikely to present
hazard in normal use (IIIþ). Insecticides and rodenticides belong to groups Ia, Ib, and II; on the other
hand, most fungicides fall into groups II, III, and IIIþ, and most herbicides belong to class IIIþ (2). In addition, pesticides can be classified chemically on
the basis of functional groups in their molecular
structure (e.g., inorganic, organochlorines, organo-
phosphates, carbamates, triazine herbicides) (3). One important aspect of pesticide safety is the
potential presence of residues of these chemicals and
their metabolites in food treated with pesticides at
some stage during growth or production. This has
promoted the adoption of regulations and conduct of
analyses of pesticide residues since World War II. This chapter examines various aspects of the
physical and chemical properties, toxicology, and
regulations of carbamate pesticides in food, with an
emphasis on existing analytical methodologies and
techniques (sample preparation, chromatography, and
recent determination methods included).
