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PESTICIDES LABORATORY     

Since about 20 years Chelab performs analysis to detect pesticides' residues.
In 2002, in order to satisfy the growing demands of the market, Chelab decided to create a specialised division, the Pesticides Laboratory, equipped with cutting edge equipments and with a highly qualified staff (5 graduates and 9 technicians).
As a matter of fact Customers need to determine, for self-control purposes, pesticides contamination in different kinds of samples: food and feed products, non food products, environmental samples.
In the following table, we list the main typologies of analysed samples.

This laboratory, in collaboration with the Research and Development division, develops new procedures for the determination of many pesticides and continuously re-checks the in-use techniques. Chelab, indeed, can determine more than 500 active principles.

Main determinations are:

	GC screening of about 250 principles, detected with gas chromatography techniques, that Chelab implemented by making the most of its ten-year experience in the field
	Screening of compounds characterized by high polarity with UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography) equipped with a triple-quadrupole detector
	Ad hoc screenings for specific products (e.g. pomaceous, drupaceous, citruses, etc.), including more than 150 active principles
	Single determinations including one or more pesticides with similar characteristics, by using the most adequate instruments: -determination of benzimidazolics, clomerquat, fosethyl aluminium, daminozide through simple analytical sample preparation and then ion trap HPLC-MS/MS analysis -determination, with the same instrumentation, of molecules characterized by more complex analytical preparation, with detection limits inferior to those allowed by the law (e.g., in fruit and vegetables: glyphosate < 0.010 mg/kg, gluphosinate < 0.100 mg/kg, dithianon < 0.020 mg/kg)
	Assay of pesticides in raw materials, commercial products for industrial and domestic use

The Pesticides laboratory uses both international (UNI EN 12393, UNI EN 12396) and internal methods and can propose more than 20 SINAL accredited tests and follow the GLP (Good Laboratory Practices) standards.
The highly qualified staff guarantees reliable data with a fast turnaround.

Equipment of pesticides laboratory

The cutting-edge equipment of this division includes:

	gas chromatographers equipped with ECD-FPD detectors
	gas chromatographers equipped with mass detectors (triple and quadrupolar)
	gas chromatographers equipped with headspace auto-sampler, for the detection of fumigants-geo-disinfectants, qualitative phospine, thiophene and dimethyl sulphide
	HPLC equipped with UV-VIS, DAD detectors, fluorimetric detectors
	ion trap HPLC equipped with mass detectors for the determination of pesticides of various chemical nature
	UPLC of last generation equipped with mass detector (triple quadrupole) for the determination of pesticides
	gel permeation for the clean-up of lipidic and not lipidic matrixes of complex nature

Thanks to the mentioned highly technological instruments, the pesticides lab is able to analyse active principles characterized by both low molecular weight, high thermic instability and solubility in water (for the ionic features of the active principle) such clormequat, metam sodium, prohexadione calcium and also active principles characterized by higher molecular weight, such as spinosad.

According to the current regulations, the laboratory has developed new screening techniques which are able to determine simultaneously active principles and metabolites.

As an example, we report the following table: