This study was performed to investigate the pesticide residue of commercial medicinal plants used for food materials in the Seoul area. Multi class pesticide multiresidue methods in Korea Food Code was used to analyze 100 pesticides. Analyzed samples were 261 cases(domestic 201, imported 60), detection rate was 19.2%(domestic 20.9%, imports 13.3%). 17 pesticides were detected in fruit(chinese matrimony vine, jujube, rubus coreanus, japanese cornlian cherry, schizandra, tangerine peel), and root(cnidium, licorice, astragalus). Pesticide over Maximum Residue Limits were detected in jujube, cnidium. Frequently detected pesticides were cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, cyhalothrin, fenvalerate, bifenthrin. More than 50% of the sample were detected two or more pesticides at the same time. Because of the variety and increase of pesticide detection in medicinal roots and fruits, continued monitoring and safety management is required.

This study was carried out to investigate the current status of pesticide residues in 3,988 agricultural products in the northern area of Seoul from January to December in 2009. 3,988 samples comprising 109 types of agricultural products were assessed via a multiresidue method to detect 272 pesticides. Pesticide residues were detected in 25.6% (1,021 of 3,988 samples), and the rate at which the detected residues violated the maximum residue levels (MRLs) of the Korean Food Code was 2.2% (89 of 3,988 samples). The agricultural products which exceeded their maximum residue limits were leek, ginseng, welsh onion, crown daisy and lettuce (leaf). Additionally, the most frequently detected pesticide that exceeded the regulation maximum was endosulfan, procymidone, tolclofos-methyl,iprodione and flutolanil.

This study was carried out to investigate the current status of pesticide residues in 3,735 agricultural products in the northern area of Seoul from January to December in 2008. 3,735 samples, comprising 119 types of agricultrural products were assessed via a multiresidue method to detect 260 pesticides. Pesticide residues were detected in 19.7%(737 of 3,735 samples), and the rate at which the detected residues violated the maximum residue levels(MRLs) of the Korean Food Code was 3.2%(121 of 3,735 samples). Pesticide residues were detected in 72 spinaches, 64 peppers, 45 sweet peppers, 40 perilla leaves, 38 korean cabbages and 37 dried agricultural products. The samples that violated the MRLs included 14 perilla leaves, 13 spinaches, 12 leek, 6 lettuces(leaf), 6 chards and 6 gyeojchaes. Procymidone, endosulfan, chlorfenapyr, cypermethrin, bifenthrin, tebuconazole and fenvalerate were all frequently observed. Procymidone, endosulfan, dimethomorph and diniconazole were the pesticides most frequently detected at levels that violated the Korean Food Code MRLs.

A survey of total aflatoxin levels was conducted on 145 samples(carthamiflos, thujae semen, giycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma) collected in Yakyeang markets in Seoul. Aflatoxin levels were quantified by the immunoaffinity column clean-up method followed by performance liguid chromatography(HPLC)-fluorescence detector(FLD). Aflatoxins were found in 10(6.9%)samples including 5 Arecae semen, 4 Thujae semen, 1 Zizyphi semen with a range of 0.45~79.15 μg/kg. Generally These results show that the contamination level of aflatoxins in Herb Medicines consumed in Korea is high compared with the standard in Korea Herb Medicine Code(10 μg/kg as aflatoxin B1). It is considered that aflatoxin concentration was increased in herb medicines during a storage and drying in herb medicines examined