Abstract: Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is an important exported vegetable in China, so its food safety is increasingly concerned. Under the greenhouse cultivation condition, the dynamic analysis of chlorpyrifos residues and quality control in spinach sprayed with various concentrations of alginate- or chitosan-cerium complexes were explored. The results showed that the degradation of chlorpyrifos residues in spinach could be accelerated by spraying alginate- and chitosan-cerium complexes at various concentrations. The alginate-cerium complex at the concentration of 3.3 mL/L and the chitosan-cerium complex at the concentration of 10 mL/L could reach a final degradation rate of 59.98% and 45.76%, respectively. Both cerium complexes had no obvious negative effect on spinach quality and could improve spinach quality instead. These findings indicated that it is feasible to apply alginate- and chitosan-cerium complexes in the growth period of vegetables to degrade chlorpyrifos.

Key words: chlorpyrifos, alginate-cerium complex, chitosan-cerium complex, pesticide degradation, spinach, quality