Organic pollution in PGI and non-PGI lemons and related soils from Italy and Turkey

In this work 67 organic contaminants in Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and non-PGI Interdonato Lemon pulps, peels, leave and related soils were evaluated by GC/MS-MS. It is possible to highlight that in Italian pulps and peels the residues were under LODs (0.10–10.30 ng·g−1), whereas the leaves showed piperonyl butoxide in 33% of samples (11.76 ± 1.24 ng·g−1) and cypermethrins in 33% of samples (Cypermethrin I, 6.12 ± 0.35 ng·g−1; Cypermethrin II, 8.67 ± 0.48 ng·g−1; Cypermethrin III, 8.90 ± 1.52 ng·g−1; Cypermethrin IV, 12.25 ± 2.46 ng·g−1). Turkish samples were mainly contaminated by piperonyl butoxide: it was revealed in the 33% of pulps (3.35 ± 1.03 ng·g−1), in 100% of peels (23.46 ± 17.69 ng·g−1) and in 100% of leaves (1302.44 ± 527.40 ng·g−1). In both soils a different contamination was detected. This study confirms that the European brand (PGI) of Interdonato Lemon Messina is a valuable instrument for the consumer protection.