Pesticide residues in foodstuffs in England and Wales. Part II: Inorganic bromide ion in cucumber,tomato and self-blanching celery grown in soil fumigated with bromomethane,and the ‘natural’ bromide ion content in a range of fresh fruit and vegetables

Surveys of inorganic bromide ion residues in tomatoes, cucumbers and selfblanching celery, commercially produced in England following soil sterilisation with bromomethane, have been carried out since 1979. The mean bromide ion level in 29 late-season cucumber samples was approximately 28 mg kg^?1 and ranged up to 109 mg kg^?1. Analysis of 242 tomato samples gave estimated mean bromide ion levels per plant ranging from 6 to 187 mg kg^?1 in fruit picked throughout the season from seven holdings, on six of which bromomethane had been used fairly recently prior to planting. A statistically significant fall in bromide levels over the growing season was shown on four of the sites. In 38 samples of self-blanching celery, the mean bromide ion level was 104 mg kg^?1 even though the mean interval between fumigation and planting was in excess of 1 year. Retail surveillance indicated that a large number of crops are likely to have bromide ion levels below 10mg kg^?1.