KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA

SECTOR – 4, R.K PURAM NEW DELHI – 22

YEAR: 2017 - 18

CHEMISTRY
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT FILE
PRESENCE OF INSECTICIDES AND PESTICIDES IN
VARIOUS FRUITS & VEGETABLES
SUBMITTED BY: TARUN BARTHWAL
CLASS: XII - A
 ROLL NO:

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this project work
is performed by ​TARUN BARTHWAL
of ​CLASS XII - A ​is original and
completed under my supervision and
guidance.

Mr. MANOJ KUMAR 

PGT Chemistry
 (1)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am deeply indebted to Mr. Manoj
kumar, our chemistry teacher without
whose constructive guidance this
project / venture would not have been
a success.
Secondly, I would like to
express my gratitude to the other staff
of the Department of chemistry for
their support during the making of this
project.
 TARUN BARTHWAL
CLASS: XII - A
(2)

INDEX

​ im ………………..............
❖ A
4
❖ Introduction ………………
5
❖ Requirements ……………
15
❖ Procedure …………………
21
❖ Observation ……………..
24
❖ Result ……………………….
25
❖ Precaution ………………..
26

(3)
 AIM

➢ To study the presence of

insecticides and pesticides
in various
fruits & vegetable
 (4)

INTRODUCTION
1) ​Pesticides

Pesticides are a broad category of

chemicals which are used to kill or
eliminate pests on plants which are
cultivated for landscaping or agriculture.
While many pesticides are insecticides,
there are other types of pesticides as well.
For instances, there ​are pesticides that
 (5)

Work to kill fungi, & even pesticides to repel

fish or mammal that threaten plant. Some
examples of chemically related pesticides
are:

A) Organophosphate pesticides
Organophosphate affects the nervous
system by disrupting the enzyme that
regulates acetylcholine in the nervous
system as a neurotransmitter. Most
Organophosphate are insecticides. Some
 are very poisonous (they were used in
World War II as nerve agents.)
B) Carbamate pesticides
Carbamate pesticides affect the nervous
(6)

System by disrupting the enzyme that

regulates acetylcholine in the nervous
system as a neurotransmitter. The enzyme
effects are usually reversible. There are
several subgroups with in Carabamate.
C) Organochlorine insecticides
They were commonly used in the past, but
many have been removed from the
market due to their health & environment
effect and their persistence (eg. DDT &
chlordane).
 D) Bio Pesticides
Bio pesticides are certain types of
pesticides derived from such natural
(7)

Material as animals, plants, bacteria &

certain material. For example, canola oil &
baking soda have pesticides application and
are considered Bio pesticides which fall into
three major classes:
1) Microbial pesticides​ consist of a
microorganism (ex - a bacterium,
fungus, virus or protozoan) as the
active ingredient. The most widely
used Microbial pesticides are
subspecies and strains of Bacillus
thuringiesis, or BT.
 2) Plant - Incorporated - Protectants
are pesticide substances that plants
produce from genetic material that
has been added to the plant.
(8)

2) - ​INSECTICIDES
An insecticide is a type of pesticides which
is specifically formulated to use against
insects. Insecticides maybe used to kill adult
insects or larvae. Insecticides also work by
preventing insects from reproducing, so
that when the adults die there are no new
insects to replace them.
CLASSES OF INSECTICIDES
I. Organochlorides
The insecticidal properties of the best -
known representatives of this class of
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Insecticides, DDT, were made by the Swiss

scientist Paul Muller. DDT was introduced
on the market in 1944.
II. Organophosphates
The organophosphates are another large
class of synthetic insecticides. These also
target the insect’s nervous system.
III. Carbamate
Insecticides have similar toxic mechanisms
to organophosphates, but have a much
 shorter duration of action and are, thus
somewhat less toxic.
IV. Biological insecticides
Many plants exude substance to prevent
from eating, premier example are
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Substances activated by the enzyme

myrosinase.
V. Bacterial insecticides
Bacillus thuringiesis is a bacterial disease
that affects lepidopteron and some other
insects. Toxins produced by different strains
of this bacterium are used as a parricide
against caterpillar, beetles, and mosquitoes.
CONSIDERATIONS
Many pesticides and insecticides are toxic
to humans or animals. This is especially true
if they are injected or if a long term
exposure is involved. Proper usage,
including wearing protective gear, is
(11)

Important when handling many ​pesticides​,

and insecticides, when used in home;
pesticides should be keeping well out of the
reach of children.
 IMPACT OF
PESTICIDES & INSECTICIDES
ON HUMAN

I. CANCER
Herbicides and pesticides have been
suspected by the national cancer research
institute as a probable cause of certain
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Cancer (i.e. cancers of the brain, prostate,

stomach & lip, as well as leukemia, skin
melanomas and Hodgkin’s lymphoma)
especially among farmers.
II. INFANTS & CHILDREN
The national academy of sciences reported
that infants & children, because developing
physiology, are susceptible to the negative
effect of herbicides & pesticides in
comparison to adults.
III. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Some herbicides & pesticides can mimic
estrogen hormones & disrupt the endocrine
system in humans & animals. Estrogen plays
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A very crucial role in human reproduction &

child development, so anything inflicting
damage on the endocrine system will
interfere with reproductive health.
IV. NERVOUS SYSTEM
Organophosphate pesticides inhibit the
beneficiary effect of enzyme that regulate
acetylcholine, a substance which transmits
nerve impulses across synapses, thus
affecting the nervous system.
V. INFERTILITY
Arbitrary & indiscriminate usage of
endometriosis, a common cause of
infertility in women.
(14)

MATERIAL REQUIRED
●Mortar & pest
●Beaker, funnel
●Glass rod
●Filter paper, china dish
●Tripod stand
●Fusion tube
●Knife
●Test tube
●Sample of various Fruits &
vegetables, alcohol, Sodium metal,
ferric chloride, ferrous sulphate
crystals, distilled Water & dilute
sulphate acid.
(15)
IMAGES OF MATERIAL THAT
ARE REQUIRED IN
EXPERIMENT
1) - ​MORTAR

2) - BEAKERS & FUNNEL

(16)

3) - GLASS ROD
4) - FILTER PAPER

5) - TRIPOD STAND

(17)

6) - KNIFE
6) - TEST TUBE

7) - FRUITS
(18)

8) - ALCOHOL
9) - SODIUM METAL

10) - FERRIC
CHLORIDE

(19)
11) - FeSO​4 CRYSTALS
​

11) -
WATER
12) - DILUTE H​2​SO​4
​(20)

PROCEDURE
1) Take different types of fruits &
vegetables that cut them into small
pieces separately.
2) Transfer the cut pieces into various
fruits and vegetables into it
separately and crush them.
3) Take different kinds of each kind of
fruits and vegetables and place the
crushed fruits and vegetables in these
beakers and add 100 ml of alcohol to
each of these.
4) Stir well and filter. Collect the
filtrate in separate china dishes,
evaporate the alcohol by one over a
water bath and let the residue dry in
the oven.
5) Heat a small piece of sodium in a
fusion table, till it melts.
6) Then add one of the above residues
from the china dish to this fusion
tube and heat it till red hot.
7) Drop the hot fusion tube in a china
dish containing about 10 ml of
distilled water.
8) Break the tube and boil the
contents of the china dish for about 5
(22)
Contents of the china dish for about 5
minutes
9) Cool and filter the solution. Collect
the filtrates add 1 ml of freshly
prepared ferrous sulphate solution
and warm the contents.
 10) Then add 2-3 drops of ferric
chloride solution and acidify with
dilute HCL. If a blue or green PPT or
coloration is obtained it indicates the
presence of nitrogen containing
insecticides.
11) Repeat the test of nitrogen for
residue obtained from other fruits,
vegetables & record this observation.
(23)

OBSERVATION
SERIAL NAME OF COLOUR TEST FOR PRESENCE
NO. THE FRUIT NOTICE PRESENCE OF
OR OF INSECTCIDES
VEGETABLE NITROGEN OR
 PESTICIDES
RESIDUE
1 AMLA GREEN POSITIVE POSITIVE

2 CARROT DEEP POSITIVE POSITIVE

GREEN
3 ORANGE PALE POSITIVE POSITIVE
GREEN
4 TOMATO PALE POSITIVE POSITIVE
GREEN
(24)

RESULT
➢ On the basis of the test
performed, it is found that
the samples of ​AMLA,
CARROT, ORANGE &
TOMATO​ contains trace of
NITROGEN​ and hence
contains some ​insecticides
and pesticides
(25)

PRECAUTION
❖ Use the chemicals carefully.
❖ Wash all the apparatus neatly.
❖ Do the experiment 3-5 times to
recheck and verify the result.
❖ Record the result carefully.

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