THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chromatograph has been imported from the US, which would enable scientists to check minute molecules. It was procured through the central government funds of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. The highly-priced machine was brought under the aegis of KAU Vice-Chancellor Dr. P. Rajendran. The Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS/MS), imported from Thermo Scientific, USA, last year, was commissioned and validated recently. It could detect a number of new generation pesticides up to trace levels of parts per billion (nanogram/kg). This new machine costing Rs 2.3 crore was procured under the RKVY of the union ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Mr Rajendran told DC that the Pesticide Residue Research & Analytical Laboratory (PRRAL) at Vellayani was recently upgraded leading to significant changes in the fruits, vegetables, condiments and spices samples collected from various shops and hypermarkets across the state. “The latest LC –MS/MS machine could detect low concentration level pesticides in fruits and vegetables. Surveillance of fruits and vegetables should be intensified and it is a huge task to procure, operate and maintain sophisticated and costly instruments like LC-MS/MS,” he said.
Skilled analysts are required for the service with some of them working late into the night. Three more new pesticide residue laboratories have been set up under KAU in Kumarakom, Vellanikkara and Padnekkad, tapping funds from different external agencies. He urged the scientists in charge of the new labs also to procure equipment like LC-MS/MS to attain full technical competency of the labs for functioning in a network mode in Kerala.
