Page 1

Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

Insecticides nowadays are widely used in killing, repelling, or mitigating one or more

species of insects. Humans have been extensively reliant on the continued use of insecticides

due to the several benefits that it offers. One of those benefits is it increases crop yields

because of protection from defoliation and diseases, second is that it prevents spoilage of

stored foods, third is that it prevents certain diseases, which conserves health and has saved

the lives of millions of people and domestic animals. However, according to the World

Health Organization, continued usage of these insecticides imposes a great risk to those who

utilize it for farming purposes and also to those people who consume the yielded fruits and

vegetables.

The Australian Government: Department of Health (2010) stated that pesticides,

specifically insecticides, should only affect the target animals/insects, but unfortunately, they

can also affect the non- target animals/insects causing different health problems. They also

stated that insecticides can harm animals and human in different ways such as through oral

entry, respiratory entry, dermal entry, etc.

On the other hand, the Government of Canada (2016) stated that pesticides, including

insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc. can be hazardous whether they are man- made or
 Page 2
naturally occurring. Exposure to these chemicals can cause severe allergic reactions,

poisoning, burns, injuries and even death.

Gottschling (2016) mentioned that pesticides, including insecticides, have numerous

hazards to humans especially to those who belong in the high- risk group which includes the

production workers, formulators, sprayers, mixers, loaders and agricultural farm workers. He

also said that pesticides can also have a negative impact through food commodities,

environment, surface water contamination, soil contamination, etc.

The Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers in India claims that if insecticides are used

according to the label claim, do not pose any hazard or affect the safety of food. (Ministry of

Chemicals and Fertilizers India, 2014) The Penn State Extension(2016) also claims that a

pesticide is less harmful if it controls what we want to control and does not harm other

creatures in the environment. Pesticides that don’t stay in the environment long are usually

less harmful than those that stay in the soil, water, or air for a long time.

Usage of insecticides nowadays became a part of our agricultural methods in aiming a

successful crop harvest. However, the use of these insecticides imposes several health

hazards to the chemical producers, farmers and crop consumers. Washing the produce with

different washing treatments may or may not reduce or remove insecticide residues. To

address the gaps, the researchers will conduct this experiment to validate which amongst the

3 washing treatments (salt, baking soda, and vinegar) is the most effective in reducing the

amount of insecticide residues in the tomatoes.

 Page 3

RESEARCH
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK IDENTIFICATION

Research identified through Research identified

database searching on through other
proquest.com sources

Collection of sample
materials and
treatment

Processing materials by
washing of sample tomatoes
with different treatments

Negative control:
Positive control: Vinegar solution
Vege wash solution Salt solution
Baking soda solution

Figure 1. The

Sample with treatment observation

Treatment analysis
 Page 4
Objectives

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments in reducing the

amount of insecticide in Lycopersicum esculentum miller.

Specifically, it aims to:

1. determine what treatment is most effective in reducing the amount of insecticides in

Lycopersicum esculentum miller;

2. determine the rotting time of the Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum miller) applied

with the different treatments;

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study will be conducted at BukSU- CON Orthopedic ward. The general intent of

this study is to determine the effectiveness of salt, baking soda and vinegar solutions in

washing the residue of insecticides in tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum miller). The 15

pieces of tomatoes will be collected from Barangay Kibenton, Impasug- ong, Sumilao,

Bukidnon. Basically, the study was limited to families and individuals consuming tomato

vegetable which uses different solutions in washing their produce to reduce the pesticides

before cooking or eating.

 Page 5
Significance of the Study

This study will be of value to the:

Future Researchers. This study will benefit the future researchers since this will provide

data and established results which can be helpful in their studies.

Consumers. This study will benefit the consumers in the market who purchases fruits and

vegetables, specifically tomatoes, since it will offer proven results as to what treatment is

most effective in reducing the amount of insecticide for a safer consumption of the said

fruit/vegetable.

Community. This study will benefit the community and the people in the community since

this study will provide them with options on the different treatments effective in reducing the

insecticide present in the fruits/vegetables.

Definition of Terms

 Insecticides- this variable is a substance used to kill, mitigate, or repel one or more

species of insects.

 Tomatoes- this variable is glossy, red, usually rounded pulpy berry of an herb (genus

Solanum) that can be eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable.

 Baking soda- this variable is commonly used as a washing treatment for the removal

of a certain substance in fruits and vegetables.

 Vinegar- this variable is a common preservative which is know to stop bacterial

growth in certain types of foods.

 Page 6

 Salt- this variable is commonly used for preservation and seasoning in in the food

industry.

 VegiWash- this variable is an established washing treatment that is specially

formulated to remove pesticides and other unwanted chemical residues from fruits

and vegetables.

 Negative control group- this term refers to a part of a scientific experiment where no

response is expected.

 Positive control- this term refers to a part of a scientific experiment where a known

response is expected.
 Page 7
Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

The chapter includes the informations about the tomato,how long will it become rotten, what

are the solutions used in order to prolong the life of tomato, what are the possible reason why

the fomato is easily destroy.

KARATE

According to Boyd, Mcheal Lynn (1996).During the treatment of soybean looper from the

predators,The older classes of insecticides, like pyrethroids, were more toxic to natural

enemy populations than newer insecticides in field tests.Total predator populations were

significantly lower in plots treated with organophosphates as compared to populations in

untreated plots in 1993 and 1995. In 1993, plots treated with Orthene circler (acephate) had

the lowest predator populations, and in 1995, plots treated with karate had the lowest

populations among insecticides tested. According to Farag,M.,Loufty.,Ahmed,M.,

Naglaa,M.,(2016) in the study of"Dissipation pattern and risk assessment of the synthetic

pyrethroid Lambda-cyhalothrin applied on tomatoes under dryland conditions" lambda-

cyhalothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, in tomato using gas chromatography-electron

capture detector.Exposure of lambda-cyhalothrin has been assessed and compared to

acceptable daily intake . The assessment of consumers’ exposure was based on the

international estimated daily intake (IEDI) compared to acceptable daily intake (ADI). The

long-term risk assessment was performed by calculating the hazard quotient (HQ). Since the

HQChronic of lambda-cyhalothrin never exceeded 1.2 %, the tomato fruits could be

 Page 8
considered safe for human consumption 14 days after application of lambda-cyhalothrin at

the recommended dose. According to the study of"Pyrethroid metabolism and exposure

assessment in Egyptian agricultural workers" conducted by, Mallorey Maven

(2016).Pesticides have become an increasingly more popular form of insecticide due to

health concerns and use restrictions of organochlorine and organophosphate (OP) pesticides.

Lambda-cyhalothrin (λCH) is a pyrethroid insecticide available for agricultural and home

use. Though minimal literature exists on human toxicity, λCH has become more widely used

due to its potent toxic activity against insect species and its perceived safer risk profile.

known to be neurotoxic and cause paresthesia in pesticide applicators. Pyrethroids act by

prolonging the open time of voltage-gated sodium channels. Each pyrethroid also produces a

specific metabolite based on each unique chemical structure. Lambda cyhalothric acid (LC

Acid) is a specific metabolite for λCH, which can serve as a sensitive and specific biomarker

of exposure to λCH following occupational and environmental exposure.human exposures to

λCH and αCM were assessed through quantifying urinary levels of metabolites in pesticide

applicators and non-applicators. Solid phase extraction prepared urine sample metabolites to

be analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The results show that urinary pesticide metabolites serve as a

sensitive and specific biomarker for human exposures to λCH and αCM, and indicate that

mixing pesticides by hand is a work practice that markedly enhances exposure. The results of

this study can be used in risk assessment for occupational and residential exposures and assist

with efforts to reduce occupational exposures in pesticide applicators.

 Page 9
According to the study of "Cyanobacterium of rice fields of Brahmaputra floodplain" Gupta,

Kiran; Baruah, P P (2015). To study the toxic effect of lambda cyhalothrin, the test organism

was exposed to varying concentrations of the insecticide i.e., 20 ppm, 40 ppm, 80 ppm, and

160 ppm based upon the determination o for a period of 20 days. The result obtained in the

laboratory showed a progressive decrease in the growth and pigments content by the test

organism with increasing concentrations of the lambda cyhalothrin against time dose-

dependent manner. At high dose (160 ppm), the test organism showed significant decrease in

dry weight biomass (54.5 %), chlorophyll-a (68 %), carotenoids (38 %), phycocyanin (80 %),

and nitrogen contents (55 %) over the control. A little but insignificant stimulatory effect on

growth and chlorophyll-a contents was recorded in 20 ppm treatment of the insecticide that,

however, was reversed in case of carotenoids and phycocyanin contents. According to study

conducted "Experimental studies on the effect of (Lambda-Cyhalothrin) insecticide on lungs

and the ameliorating effect of plant extracts (Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) and garlic (Allium

sativum L.) on asthma development in albino rats" Mohi El-Din, Mouchira M; Mostafa,

Amna M; Abd-Elkader, Aml, (2015).There study was to determine the pathological

alterations of LTC in lungs, which has not previously been studied, and the ameliorating

effects of plant extracts (ginseng and garlic) on the development. The study shows 3 gps of

rats injected with LHC alone or combined with garlic and ginseng extract, each group were

divided into two sacrificed (15 and 21). Lambda cyhalothrin causes bronchial obstruction in

the lungs of the rats (15 and 21), which decreased into mild to moderate interstitial

inflammation in the rats given garlic and ginseng, respectively. In the study of "Spraying

pyrethroid and neonicotinoid insecticides can induce outbreaks of Panonychus citri

 Page 10
(Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) in citrus groves" Zanardi, Odimar Zanuzo; Gabriela Pavan

Bordini; Aline Aparecida Franco; Matheus Rovere de Morais; Pedro Takao

Yamamoto(Nov.2018)Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) is one

of the main defoliator mites in citrus groves. This study assessed the effects of pyrethroid

(deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, λ-cyhalothrin) and neonicotinoid (imidacloprid and

thiamethoxam) insecticides on biological, behavioral and demographic parameters of P. citri.

None of the insecticides tested affected larval hatching, but deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, and

λ-cyhalothrin reduced the survival of larvae and protonymphs. Deltamethrin, esfenvalerate,

and λ-cyhalothrin induced a significant increase in the fecundity of surviving females.

Pyrethroids also caused repellency and changed feeding and oviposition preferences. In

contrast, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam did not affect the survival of immature stages, but

imidacloprid significantly increased fecundity. Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam did not cause

any repellent effect or changes in the feeding and oviposition preferences. Based on the

demographic parameters, deltamethrin, λ-cyhalothrin, and imidacloprid increased Ro, r, and

λ, whereas esfenvalerate and thiamethoxam were similar to the control. Therefore, the use of

these insecticides (especially deltamethrin, λ-cyhalothrin, and imidacloprid) requires caution,

such as avoiding repeated use of these compounds during the periods of P. citri incidence in

citrus groves.

According to Fai, Patricia Bi; Asanga; Tsobgny Kinfack, Joel Stephane; Tala Towa, Yannick

Jordan.(2017) In there study entitled"Acute effects of binary mixtures of Type II pyrethroids

and organophosphate insecticides on Oreochromis niloticus"This study therefore studied the

effects of binary pyrethroid-organophosphate mixtures using cypermethrin, deltamethrin and

 Page 11
dimethoate in an acute toxicity test system with Oreochromis niloticus. The 96h LC50s for

individual insecticides were 9.13µg/l, 9.42µg/l and 45.52mg/l for cypermethrin, deltamethrin

and dimethoate respectively. These showed that the pyrethroid insecticides were highly toxic

to Oreochromis niloticus and were far more toxic than dimethoate. All mixtures were also

more toxic than single insecticides throughout the concentration-response curve with

mixtures resulting in mortality at concentrations which the individual pesticides in the

mixture were below their respective NOECs. In addition, observed mixture toxicities

deviated from the predicted mixture effects based either on the Concentration Addition (CA)

or Independent Action (IA) models independent of mixture ratio. However, the extent of

observed mixture mortality deviation was dependent on the effect level. Significant

deviations (MDR>2.0) were observed at lower concentrations indicating synergistic effects at

lower and possibly environmentally relevant concentrations. This is not unexpected since

organophosphate insecticides are known to inhibit acetylcholinesterase as well as inactivate

esterase, resulting in reduced detoxification of pyrethroid insecticides and consequently

greater toxicity than would be expected. This has important implications for risk assessment

of mixtures since the risk of pyrethroid-organophosphate mixtures may be underestimated if

either the CA or IA model is employed.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is the most widely consumed vegetable

crops in the world,and is the main supplier of several phytonutrients and providing an

important nutritional value to human diet and its important role in human health(Willcox et.

al 2003). According to (Marcelis 1993;Dorais et al., 2001) Temperature are highly affected
 Page 12
by the light intensity and to a lessed extent by the CO2 concentration. Specific requirements

of the vegetable species in addition to the growth seasons and plant stage are to be considered

and increase air temperature generally increa the growth rate of the individual vegetable

fruits and shows that woth the same number of fruit per plant,the biomass allocation of the

fruits increased with increasing temperature from 18°C tp 25°C, at the expense of the

vegetativeplant parts.Low temperature combined with low irradiance,caused puffiness and

blotchy ripening in the tomato,as well as a deterioration of taste,due to a decline in the sugar

content, while citric acid content was unchanged(Rylski et al,1994). The effect of

temperature on the color of vegetable fruits is well known(Dorais et al,2001;

Geissler,1985;Zipelevish et al,2000).The red color of ripe tomato fruits is attributed to

lycopene, a carotenoid synthesozed and stored in the chromoplastes(Dorais et al 2001;

Kleinhenz et a.,2003) and most probably the key for carotenoid biosynthesis is the

temperature(Helyes et al,2003).

Sherbakoff (1917) a fruit disease of tomatoes in Florida which he called " Buckeye Rot,"

and described the causal fungus as a new , P. terrestris. Bewley (1923) described the Buckeye

disease of tomatoes and stated that P. terrestris appears to be the same as P. parasitica. the

latter name having priority, and Tucker (1931) in his revision of the genus Phytophthora,

confirm ed this and the green tomatoes were sterilised, injured either by a knife thrust or a

V-shaped cut, the fungus oatmeal agar was placed in the wound which was then sealed with

wax. the fruits were placed in the incubator at 250 C. The results in every case were the

same. Within two days a brown area extended around the point of inoculation and spread so

rapidly that in four to six days the fruit was completely rotten. According to Mike Bubel,
 Page 13
Nancy Bubel (1991)Mature green tomato will ripen in 25-28 days at degrees or can speed up

the process and bring a few fruits at a time into a some 60-70 degrees for a gradual ripening.

Ethyl gas promotes ripening and sometimes used as a commercially ripen a mature green

tomato.

Karate is recently developed in synthetic pyrethroid insecticed suitable for preventive

use,giving rapid knock down and persistence depending on use (Jutson et al 1984; Robson et

al 1984; Tunbark 1988).It is a highly active against a very wide range of foliar soil and public

health pest. According to Bliev et al. (1985)t omato, garden egg and okro yields were higher

at the lower concentrations of pesticides application . 156 g ha-1 and 125 g ha-1 for lindane

and unden, respectively. This observation may be due to the fact that increasing pesticide

concentration in the soil affected microbial activity, ultimately reducing soil fertility and

productivity, application of lower rates (5 and 10 kg ha-1) of hexazinone (C12H20N4O2)

pesticide ammonification and decomposition of cellulose in a soddy podzolic soil. Higher

rate (20 kg ha-1), however, inhibited nitrification in the soil. Increasing pesticide

concentration may become toxic to the plant itself. According to Diallo (1986), phytotoxicity

of insecticides is mainly by distortions, scorches, yellowing and necrosis of the foliage or

global wilt, causing a decline in yield.The detoxification capacity of soil depends on its

microbial activity. The higher the microbial activity, the greater the capacity of the soil to

counteract the effect of a pesticide.

Pesticide residual effect varies depending on the dosage. Bliev et al. (1985) observed

that there were no traces of hexazinone in the soil after 450 days when 5 kg ha-1 of the
 Page 14
pesticide was applied. By increasing the dosage of the pesticide to 10 kg ha-1, it took 750

days for the pesticide to completely finish in the soil. Regarding soil organisms, it has been

shown that insecticides, which oily in nature, affect soil bacteria considerably. Chlorinated

hydrocarbons and carbamates havs adverse effects on nitrifying and ammonifying bacteria

(Diallo, 1986). The pesticides also affect the microbial population of the soil even though

micro- organisms are responsible for most of the degradation of pesticides in the soil.

Pesticide treatments that gave optimum yields could be used as optimum rates and,

therefore, the recommended rates of pesticides. Thus, the U20 treatment could be

recommended for use on egg, tomatoes and okro. According to Svetkov (1985), in Germany

the acceptable residue concentration of unden is 5, 4, and 3 mg kg-1 of salads, cabbages and

fruits, respectively.

Agricultural products nowadays have been using chemicals to keep their plants from

the pest that may ruin the growth and production of these products. However, studies claimed

that exposure to insecticide residue from the fruits and vegetables we eat may have

dangerous effects to the human health. The World Health Organization (2018) stated that

pesticide toxicity is one of the leading causes of death especially in the low-income

countries. Since these chemicals are widely distributed in the environment, WHO developed

ways of protecting the people from the harmful effect of the pesticide toxins. Thus, several

studies pertaining to ways of insecticide residue reduction in agricultural produce have been

conducted and washing these produce is one of the most effective ways to prevent pesticide

toxicity.
 Page 15
For example, Shiboob, MH (2012) in his study he used potassium permanganate,

acetic acid, soap, and tap water to wash the sample products. The result showed Venigar

solution as the most effective to remove pesticide in the sample produce he used among all

the solutions. These effect of vinegar solution to removing of insecticide residue has also

been supported by the study conducted by Nowowi, Ishak, Ismail, Zakaria (2016). Vinegar

solution with 10% of acetic and 90% of water was used Howard (2012) and removed less

than 20% of chlorpyrifos a certain type of insecticide. The study of “Removal of

Organosphosphorus Pesticide Residues from Vegetables Using Washing Solutions and

Boiling” by Satpathy and Kumar (2012) observed the effectiveness of washing the sample

vegetables separately with water, NaCl, NaHCO, acetic acid, aqueous solution of spondias

pinnata and boiling. These solutions were used in a specific and set percentage of

concentration and found a significant effect upon washing the fruits and vegetables.

Washing the vegetables with the solutions washed off pesticide residues by 20-89 percent

while the boiling process removed the pesticide residue by 52-100%.

Other solutions has been proven to be effective in washing off the pesticide residue in

produce. Shashi BV, Cherukuri SR, Ravindranath D, Harinatha Reddy A, Aruna M, Ramesh

BS, Swarupa, (2014) in their study of “Removal of Pesticides residue in tomatoes” they

aimed to find a more accessible and cheaper way of removing the harmful residues left in the

tomatoes. The process was dipping of the ripe tomatoes in a 0.2 % insecticide solution for 5

minutes. The tomatoes were air dried in a clean surface and rinsed them separately under

running tap water, salt solution, and cooking. In the end tap water showed no significant

reduction of chemical residue in the tomatoes, while 2% salt solution on the other hand has
 Page 16
the most efficient result in getting rid of the chemical residue. "Salt water is one of the easiest

and most cost-effective ways to remove certain pesticides." (Emily Honeycutt, 2017).

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts in their Journal of Agricultural and Food

chemistry (2017) found out that baking soda solution can best remove pesticides within 12-

15 minutes of soaking the sample apples. This study has been featured in many articles about

washing different produce especially tomatoes. Another treatment used to remove pesticide

residue on produce is the bleach solution. Although it has been overpowered by the different

solutions in removing residue, we cannot deny the fact that bleach solution is effective

somehow (Panhwar, Sheikh, Soomro, & Abro, 2014). In the different studies mentioned

above bleach is one of the sulotion treatment to be used as it has been proven to somehow

remove chemical residue in produce Fotheringham (2018).

In the study of "Risk analysis of profenofos on tomato in ploy house and open field

and risk mitigation methods fir removal of profe residuez from tomato for food safety"The

percentage in removal of profenofos residues from tomato that are subjected to a different

decontamination solution they were found out that the most effective in removing 75.84%

residues is the 4% acetic acid solution, followed by 2% salt solution and the tap water and

base on their percentage in removal of residues they proved that there is a significant

differences in efficiency in decontaminating solutions (Kelageri et al 2015). According to

(Radwan et al2004; Jayakrishnan et al 2005; Zhabg et al 2006; Klinkhom 2008; Liang et al

2012) they suggested that 1% acetic acid solution, 0.1%NaHCO3 solution removes a various

pesticide in different plants. Chekuri et al (2014) Also reveals that tomato that are being

washed with 2%salt solution vos effective in removing a various pesticides. According to
 Page 17
Garcia -Gomez et al ,. 30% of the studied who used disinfectant containing colloidal silver

for disinfectant of the vegetables 25% applying sodium hypochlorite and the other

population who are using salt detergent and salt with lemon as their disinfectant. We used

these three treatment it is because we found out that acetic acid has the ability to treat tomato

fruits with different concentrations of glacial acetic acid wither liquid or as vapour

significantly reduced the growth of Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea in both (in vitro

and in vivo). Also, submersed tomato fruits in different concentrations of acetic acid solution

significantly reduced the severity of infection caused by A. alternata and B. cinerea. Wherein

Infection increased in tomato fruits with increasing time of storage and decreased gradually

with increasing acid concentration. For Salt is has also the ability to disinfect the pesticides

present in the plant and may able to prevent fro. easier damage of thetomato plant. Lastly the

sodium bicarbonate where it had a beneficial effect in reducing the fungal spores from the

plant to prevent the tomatoes from rottening.

As the tomato samples in this study will be expose to two different temperature there

will be an expected different outcome in the tomato soaked in different treatments.

Temperature greatly affect the life of a tomato as it cannot be store in the temperature under

55° F. This will prevent normal ripening of the said produce Home Lawn & Garden (2012).
 Page 18

Chapter 3

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This chapter presents the materials and methods in determining the most effective washing

treatment in reducing insecticide residues in tomatoes. This chapter includes presenting the

research setting, research design, experimental research procedure, and research protocol.
 Page 19
Research Setting

The province of Bukidnon remains the massive supplier of agricultural products in the whole

Northern Mindanao. Occupying a wide plateau in the North Central part of Mindanao,

Bukidnon has a progressive agriculture-based economy. It is a major producer of many

agricultural products and one of those is tomatoes (PIA, 2018). The group will purchase the

tomato samples at Barangay Kibenton, Impasug-ong, Sumilao, Bukidnon. It is a land area

with several mountains ranges, canyons, high relief topography, including part of Mt.

kitanglad. The climate of in this area is relatively cool and humid throughout the year due to

its high elevation. It is a typhoon-free area ideal for the production of high value crops.

Thirty tomato samples will be brought to the BukSU- CON Orthopedic ward, where the

experiment will be conducted. This is a room wherein sunlight, and air can enter, but not

rain. It is dark when lights are off and with the curtains on. Air current and rain cannot go

inside the orthopedic ward when all windows are closed. It has a cool room temperature all

throughout the day and is safe from animals like cats and rats that might attack the tomatoes.

The ward will be prepared as a laboratory for this experiment. The cleanliness of the area as

well as the tools and equipments for the experiment will be ensured. According to Sanoven

(2006), tomatoes don’t need sunlight to ripen and that they can perfectly ripen in a dark room

though would take much longer to ripe in the latter. The location of the place is convenient

for the group to constantly monitor the samples for any changes as it is near the college og

nursing.
 Page 20

Research Design

The research design that will be used in the study is experimental. Specifically, it will utilize

the true experiment type of experimental research. To determine which treatment is effective

in reducing insecticide in the tomatoes, tomatoes of the same characteristics will be randomly

assigned to groups (i.e. control groups and experimental groups). There will be two control

groups- positive control and negative control. Positive control group will receive a well-

established treatment, while the negative control group will receive no treatment. On the

other hand, there will be 3 experimental groups. Each group will receive specific treatment

that is whichever of the following: NaCl in tap water, vinegar in tap water, and 1 tsp baking

soda in tap water.

Experimental Research Procedure

A. Collection and Identification of Tomato Samples

The tomato samples (Lycopersicum esculentum miller) will be purchased at a plantation in

Barangay Kibenton, Impasug-ong, Sumilao, Bukidnon on the day the experiment will be

conducted. Tomatoes will be hand-picked by the researchers with the permission and
 Page 21
guidance of the plantation owner. Only tomatoes of about the same size, weight, and color,

and those with intact surfaces will be chosen. Medium-sized, crisp, red-orange, meaty, and

firm tomatoes will be used as these are the criteria that the consumers look for according to

the study of Oltman (2014). Selected tomatoes will be placed in a plastic basket lined with

newspaper to ensure their quality will not be affected during transportation from Barangay

Kibenton, Impasug-ong, Sumilao, Bukidnon to the orthopedic ward of the College of

Nursing in Bukidnon State University, where the experiment will be performed. Prior to the

experiment, tomato samples will be brought to a plant expert for the identification of their

specific variety.

B. Processing of Tomato Samples

There will be two processes, Process A and Process B, to be utilized in this study.

These methods will follow exactly the same steps except that Process A will be conducted

under normal room temperature, wherein room temperature may change all throughout the

day, while in Process B, tomato samples will be placed inside the refrigerator so the

temperature is maintained. People also have the tendency to refrigerate tomatoes to prolong

its ripening. The temperature of the refrigerator will be set to 6 0C as this is the usual

temperature set by the consumers after their purchase of tomatoes says Dew (2015).

In conducting the experiment, researchers will wear rubber gloves and face masks to protect

themselves from the irritating insecticide. The Karate insecticide, which is the most common

insecticide used by tomato farmers in Kibenton, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon, will be used in this
 Page 22
experiment. The Karate insecticide will be diluted in tap water following the direction of the

manufacturer. Tomato samples will be put inside a net and will then be dipped into the

insecticide solution for 5 seconds (Al-Taher, Chen, Wylie, & Cappozzo, 2013) and will then

be allowed to air dry for 24 hours using a blotting paper (Rasolonjatovo, Cemek , Cengiz,

Ortaç, Konuk, Karaman, Kocaman, Gönes, 2017).

The 5-second dipping time will be chosen as Al-Taher et al evaluated it to be effective in

contaminating the tomato surfaces with pesticide, and also because it closely simulated the

time of spraying that is used in commercial and residential applications of pesticides.

Dipping the tomatoes in a pesticide solution allowed consistent application, unlike the

spraying, whereby not all pesticides were likely to be absorbed on the surface of tomatoes.

Dipping of the tomatoes in the insecticide will give more reproducible and accurate results.

After 24 hours drying, a total of 9 tomatoes will be placed individually in the

containers with lids which are sterilized with a bleach solution. The 9 tomatoes will be group

into 3 for the experimental groups. They will be labeled according to the washing treatment

used. Each container will hold 275 ml of the solution enough to fully submerge a tomato. The

container lid will help in soaking all the surfaces of a tomato.

3 beakers will hold the 275 ml baking soda washing treatment by adding 1 tsp. of baking

soda to the 1 cup tap water (Nedelman, 2017); 3 beakers for the 275 ml NaCl washing

treatment which comprises of 2% NaCl in tap water (Vemuri, Rao, Darsi, Reddy, Aruna,

Ramesh, Swarupa. (2014); and another 3 beakers for commercial vinegar washing treatment

which comprise of 100 ml vinegar in 900 ml tap water (Nowowi, Ishak, Ismail, Zakaria,

2016). All the tomatoes of each glass will be soaked for 15 minutes (Dziemianowicz, 2017).
 Page 23
They will be dried through the use of blotting paper and will be placed on an individual petri

dish.

The other 6 tomatoes will be divided into 2 groups- the positive control group and the

negative control group. The 3 tomatoes in the negative control group will be soaked in 275

ml tap water for 15 minutes, and will then be dried using a blotting paper for 24 hours. They

will then be placed on a petri dish and will be labeled as the negative control group. On the

other hand, the last 3 tomatoes which will be in the positive control group will be subjected

for soaking using the VegiWash following the manufacturer’s instruction. The tomatoes in

the positive control group will then be dried using a blotting paper for 24 hours, and will be

placed on the petri dish individually. They will be labeled as positive control.

The above steps will be applied to both Process A and Process B. The illustration of the

procedure is shown below. All of the tomato samples will be left inside the room for several

days or until all of them got rotten.

C. Screening Method

Insecticides, basically, kills insects that will try to come in contact with a plant. According to

Van Emden, & Peakall (1996), they are said to be the reason behind the elevation of

agricultural production in the 20th century. To determine the best washing treatment among

the vinegar, salt, and baking soda, the time it takes for a tomato to rot will be investigated.

The washing treatment used for the tomatoes which rotten first is the one that is effective in

reducing insecticide residue on the tomatoes.

 Page 24
Daily photos of each tomato samples in Process A and Process B will be captured to keep a

record of the changes that is occurring to the tomatoes. Tomatoes will be weighted daily to

assess for water loss. The surfaces will also be checked to see for decays. The number of

days when a tomato shows rotting- 50% weight loss and single spot of decay- will be

recorded on a table.

D. Statistical analysis

Averages and standard deviations from sample studies will be determined using Microsoft

Excel 2010. Statistical analysis will be performed with one-way analysis of variance

(ANOVA) with significance set at P values of <0.05 for pesticide washing treatments and

two-way ANOVA with significance set at P values of <0.05for tomato samples in Process A

and Process B.

Note: Process A and Process B follows these steps.

Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
 Page 28
Research Protocol

An informed consent will be obtained from the owner of the farm where we are going

to collect our samples of tomato. Prior to going to the farm, a letter containing the purpose of

entrance to their community was brought to their datu. One of the researchers accompanied

by her parent also will personally see the datu to formally state their purpose of visit.

The researchers will not involve human subjects or harm any human being during the

entire experiment. They are responsible for the proper disposal of the waste especially the

insecticides during their work. The handling of hazardous waste will be properly managed

from the moment it is used until its disposal.

 Page 29
REFERENCES

Philippine Information Agency. 2018. Retrieved at

https://pia.gov.ph/provinces/bukidnon on November 7, 2018.

Carol Savonen, G. A. 2006. Tomatoes: Too many, too little

time.Statesman Journal Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/440164703?accountid=173015

Dziemianowicz J. 2017. Baking soda is best 'solution' for apple scuzz. New York Daily
News;44.

Al-Taher, F., Chen, Y., Wylie, P., & Cappozzo, J. 2013. Reduction of
pesticide residues in tomatoes and other produce. Journal of Food Protection, 76(3),
510-5. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1316602134?accountid=173015

Marcus, E. 2007. BURNING QUESTIONS, it's OK to rinse with tap

water.Newsday Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/280133576?accountid=173015

Nedelman M. 2017. Pesticides: How 'bout washing them apples? CNN Wire Service;.

Van Emden, H.F & Peakall, David.1996. Beyond Silent Spring.: Integrated
pest management and chemical safety. Spinger Netherlands. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com.ph/books

Shashi Bhushan Vemuri, Cherukuri Sreenivasa Rao, Ravindranath Darsi, Harinatha Reddy
A,
Aruna M , Ramesh B , S. Swarupa. 2014. Methods for Removal of Pesticide Residues
in Tomato. Andhra Pradesh, India.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/aeea/06fabde64a35ea0cdf00eb5ada87086e351d.pdf

Rasolonjatovo MA, Cemek M, Cengiz MF, Ortaç D, Konuk HB, Karaman E, Kocaman AT,
Gönes S. 2017. Reduction of methomyl and acetamiprid residues from tomatoes after
various household washing solutions. Int J Food Prop. 20(11):2748-59.
Nowowi, M.F.M., Ishak, M.A.M., Ismail, K., & Zakaria, S.R. 2016. Study on the
effectiveness
of five cleaning solutions in removing chlorpyrifos residues in cauliflower (Brassica
oleracea). Journal of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology. Vol. 8 (7). Retrieved at
https://academicjournals.org/journal/JECE/article-full-text-
pdf/4C4879459401?fbclid=IwAR137h4_LLZUtiprWH7gFocOoTY5ril1DQINGHLdEIABC
 Page 30
h12llkAt-knH8Y.https://academicjournals.org/journal/JECE/article-full-text-
pdf/4C4879459401

Roberts C. An Easy Way to Remove Pesticides. Product Reviews and Ratings – Consumer

Reports. [accessed 2018 Nov 19]. https://www.consumerreports.org/pesticides-

herbicides/easy-way-to-remove-pesticides/

El-Saeid M, Selim M. Effect of Food Processing on Reduction of Pesticide Residues in

Vegetables. Journal of Applied Life Sciences International. 2016;8(1):1–6.

doi:10.9734/jalsi/2016/26801

How to Wash Vegetables and Fruits to Remove Pesticides. Food Revolution Network. 2018

May 16 [accessed 2018 Nov 19]. https://foodrevolution.org/blog/how-to-wash-

vegetables-fruits/

Effectiveness of Commercial and Homemade Washing Agents in Removing Pesticide

Residues on and in Apples. ACS Publications. [accessed 2018 Nov 19].

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03118

Vemuri S B, Rao C S, Darsi R, Harinatha Reddy A, Aruna M, Ramish B, Swarupa S,

Methods for Removal of Pesticides Residue in Tomatoe. Horizon Reasearch

Publication [accessed 2014 ].

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/aeea/06fabde64a35ea0cdf00eb5ada87086e351d.pdf
Page 31