PRINT THIS PAGEremoval of pesticides from wine using fining and filter agents
Ruediger, G. A., Pardon, K. H., Sas, A. N., Godden, P. W., & Pollnitz, A. P. (2004). Removal of pesticides from red and white wine by the use of fining and filter agents. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. 10, 8-16.
The following seven fungicides (carbendazim,chlorothalonil, fenarimol, metalaxyl, oxadixyl, procymidone and triadimenol) and three insecticides (carbaryl, chlorpyrifos and dicofol) were added to a white wine made from Semillon and a red wine made from Syrah.
Pesticides were added to the two wines at levels equivalent to the Australian maximum residue limit (MRL) and also at the levels of the MRL levels in importing countries when they were lower than in Australia.
These wines were then treated with:
diatomaceous earth at 0.25 and 1.25 g/L
bentonite at 0.5 and 2.5 g/L
polyvinylpolypyrrolidone at 0.05 and 0.3 g/L
activated carbon at 0.1 and 0.4 g/L.
The wines were analysed for the residual pesticides and the percentage pesticide level remaining in the wine was reported.
Where reductions occurred these were greater in the white wine.
It was found that the lower the solubility of the pesticide in the wine the greater the amount removed.
Activated carbon was the most effective treatment at lowering pesticide levels especially at the higher use rate in white wines. Activated carbon, at a rate of 0.4 g/L, reduced all pesticide levels by at least 50% except for oxadixyl and triadimenol.
Bentonite had a major effect on the removal of carbendazim. PVPP and diatomaceous earth were less effective at removing the various pesticides. In most instances there was little or no reduction with diatomaceous earth, bentonite or PVPP.
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