Pesticide and plasticizer residues in citrus essential oils from different countries.

Residue analyses are very important in the quality control of citrus essential oils. Organophosphorus and organochlorine pesticides, phosphorated plasticizers and chloroparaffins contamination were investigated by HRGC with FPD and ECD detectors in 120 citrus essential oils produced in Italy and in 70 from other countries in the crop year 2006-2007. Results showed that the largest pesticide quantities were found in oils from Brazil and Spain. The presence of such residues might be the result of an improper use of pesticide in citrus growing or of previous contamination of the extractors. However, the pesticide levels showed a measurable decrease in relation to past production years. The absence of phosporated plasticizers and chloroparaffins can be the result of either improvement of the procedures used during the production cycle or in the storage of the essential oils compared with previous years.