Summary: In 2022, sixteen different pesticides were applied successfully by WTFRC staff to commercial Skeena block near Orondo, WA for analysis of residue levels at harvest. Fruit samples were collected on June 30, packaged, and shipped to Pacific Agricultural Labs (PAL) in Sherwood, OR; unfortunately, those shipments which were packed in blue ice in insulated containers and designated for overnight delivery to the lab did not arrive at their destination until 6 days later at which point the temperature inside the container had risen to ambient levels (~75F) for an undeterminable time. This disruption of the cold chain triggered the breakdown of chemical residues on the fruit surface and fatally compromised the results of the subsequent analysis.
