Effects of Pulsed Electric Fields on Four Residual Fungicides in White Wines

Abstract

The reduction by Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) of four residual fungicides (pyrimethanil, vinclozolin, cyprodinil and procymidone) in dry white wine was studied in this paper. White wine was treated by PEF with strengths of 5-20 kV/cm and treatment times of 0.5-2 ms (which corresponds to an energy of 10-160 kJ/L). Pesticide residues were extracted by stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and assayed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results show that the concentrations of the studied pesticides decreased significantly after the PEF treatment and the sensitivity of fungicides concerning PEF was different. The degradation was influenced by strength and energy of PEF treatments. The decrease in levels of pesticides in wine by the application of a pulsed electric field of high intensity seems to be possible.