Introduction of new, more reliable, Ethephon analysis method by AgriQ
Ethephon is on the list of acute toxic compounds. Due to its relative low ARfD this compound will reach the level of 100% of the maximum (short-term) intake relatively soon. Although its low ARfD there is a European MRL for a number of crops, like walnuts, apples, grapes, tomatoes, pineapples, cherries and bilberries. But for many more purposes it can be used. According to the manufacturer ethephon is used to promote pre-harvest ripening in apples, currants, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, morello cherries, citrus fruit, figs, tomatoes, sugar beet and fodder beet seed crops, coffee, capsicums, etc.; to accelerate post-harvest ripening in bananas, mangoes, and citrus fruit; to facilitate harvesting by loosening of the fruit in currants, gooseberries, cherries, and apples.
Many laboratories analyse ethephon by conversion to the active metabolite of ethephon, called ethylene, or etheen, which is also a natural occurring ripening agent. The MRL is set for ethephon and therefore it is more reliable to analyse the ethephon itself, as ethylene could also come from the product itself and cause "false positive" results. AgriQ is now able to analyse ethephon, looking at ethephon itself, using a special LC-MS/MS method. This method gives reliable results and good recoveries and eliminates the chance of false positive samples by also analysing natural occuring ethylene in combination with ethephon.