Organochlorine residues in fish: National Pesticide Monitoring Program, 1970-74

As part of the National Pesticide Monitoring Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service analyzed organochlorine contaminant residues in fish samples collected from about 100 stations each year from 1970 to 1974. During this period, mean residues of DDT and its metabolites declined nationally but remained widespread, and high concentrations continued to be present in areas where DDT use was extensive. Results of interlaboratory crosscheck analyses supported these conclusions, despite interpretation problems posed by intercompound analytical interferences in 1970 and 1971. Temporal trends in PCB residues were less obvious. Highest PCB residues were found in the industrialized areas of the Northwest and Midwest, and traces were present at most stations. Dieldrin and endrin residues remained essentially unchanged during this period; dieldrin residues were widespread and were highest in Hawaii and in areas of the Midwest where aldrin was used extensively. Toxaphene occurrence increased; it was formerly found only in fish from streams draining cotton-farming regions, but residues were detected in 1974 samples from other areas. According to the recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences' Water Quality Criteria, organochlorine residues in freshwater fish may have represented a hazard to piscivorous fish and wildlife at 71 percent of the stations sampled in 1970 and 66 percent in 1974.     

Organochlorine insecticide residues in bovine milk and manufactured milk products in Illinois, 1971-76.

Monitoring activities were initiated in 1971 to survey the occurence and levels of organochlorine insecticide residues in bovine milk and manufactured milk products in Illinois. Dieldrin residues were the most prevalent, and were found in 96 percent of the samples. Dieldrin also accounted for the highest average residue concentration (0.09 ppm). Only 0.3% of the samples contained illegal insecticide residues. Levels of DDT and lindane were generally declining, but those for dieldrin and heptachlor epoxide tended to remain constant.     

Pesticide residues in foodstuffs in Great Britain. Pesticide residues in raspberries and strawberries

Over the period 1968/70 147 samples of raspberries and 124 samples of strawberries were analysed for organochlorine insecticide residues. DDT was found in 30% of the samples but only one sample contained as much as 1.4 parts/million. No residues were detected in the raspberries during the last year of the survey which coincided with the discontinued use of DDT on this crop. 184 of the above samples were also analysed for residues of organophosphorus insecticides and the fungicide dichlofluanid. Malathion was found in one sample of raspberries. Approximately 40% of the strawberries contained detectable amounts of dichlofluanid and its metabolite with combined residues ranging from 0.1 to 7.5 parts/million. Only two samples of raspberries contained residues of either dichlofluanid or its metabolite. It is considered that the residues of these various pesticides should not present a hazard to consumers.     

Organochlorine pesticide residues in human milk samples from women living in Northwest and Northeast Mississippi, 1973-75

Organochlorine pesticide analyses were performed on human milk samples obtained from 34 women living in the Mississippi Delta, a high pesticide usage area, and from six women living in Starkville, Mississippi, a low pesticide usage area. Nine women collected samples before and after their babies had nursed so that fat levels and sigma DDT levels could be compared on whole milk and milk fat bases. sigma DDT values were independent of collection time if calculated on a milk fat basis, but not if calculated on a whole milk basis. Thus, the most consistent indicator of DDT residues were values calculated on a milk fat basis. Residue levels for p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, and sigma DDT were significantly different (P less than 0.01) in samples from the two areas. Residues of o,p'-DDT, beta-BHC, and oxychlordane in milk samples from women living in the high pesticide usage area also were significantly different (P less than 0.05). A mean value of 19.17 ppm sigma DDT, found in the milk fat of samples from the high pesticide usage area, is the highest ever reported. Samples from the low pesticide usage area contained a mean level of 2.36 ppm sigma DDT.     

Pesticide residues in the total diet in England and Wales, 1966–1967: III.—Organophosphorus pesticide residues in the total diet

Details are given of the methods of analysis used in the determination of Organophosphorus pesticide residues in each of the food groups into which the total diet samples were divided. Residues of only 6 pesticides were detected. Malathion was the most commonly found, mainly in the cereal foods group of the diet, but all the residues were at low levels.     

Pesticide residues in food--acute dietary exposure

Consumer risk assessment is a crucial step in the regulatory approval of pesticide use on food crops. Recently, an additional hurdle has been added to the formal consumer risk assessment process with the introduction of short-term intake or exposure assessment and a comparable short-term toxicity reference, the acute reference dose. Exposure to residues during one meal or over one day is important for short-term or acute intake. Exposure in the short term can be substantially higher than average because the consumption of a food on a single occasion can be very large compared with typical long-term or mean consumption and the food may have a much larger residue than average. Furthermore, the residue level in a single unit of a fruit or vegetable may be higher by a factor (defined as the variability factor, which we have shown to be typically x3 for the 97.5th percentile unit) than the average residue in the lot. Available marketplace data and supervised residue trial data are examined in an investigation of the variability of residues in units of fruit and vegetables. A method is described for estimating the 97.5th percentile value from sets of unit residue data. Variability appears to be generally independent of the pesticide, the crop, crop unit size and the residue level. The deposition of pesticide on the individual unit during application is probably the most significant factor. The diets used in the calculations ideally come from individual and household surveys with enough consumers of each specific food to determine large portion sizes. The diets should distinguish the different forms of a food consumed, eg canned, frozen or fresh, because the residue levels associated with the different forms may be quite different. Dietary intakes may be calculated by a deterministic method or a probabilistic method. In the deterministic method the intake is estimated with the assumptions of large portion consumption of a 'high residue' food (high residue in the sense that the pesticide was used at the highest recommended label rate, the crop was harvested at the smallest interval after treatment and the residue in the edible portion was the highest found in any of the supervised trials in line with these use conditions). The deterministic calculation also includes a variability factor for those foods consumed as units (eg apples, carrots) to allow for the elevated residue in some single units which may not be seen in composited samples. In the probabilistic method the distribution of dietary consumption and the distribution of possible residues are combined in repeated probabilistic calculations to yield a distribution of possible residue intakes. Additional information such as percentage commodity treated and combination of residues from multiple commodities may be incorporated into probabilistic calculations. The IUPAC Advisory Committee on Crop Protection Chemistry has made 11 recommendations relating to acute dietary exposure.     

Dieldrin residues in soybeans in Illinois, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, and 1974

The Illinois soybean crop was monitored in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, and 1974 for dieldrin residues resulting from aldrin applied to corn in the years before soybean cultivation. Residue levels of dieldrin in soybeans increased between 1965 and 1974. The percent of fields which had soybeans with a dieldrin level above 0.03 ppm increased between 1965 and 1974. Dieldrin residue levels in soybeans grown in Illinois are expected to decline now that the use of aldrin has diminished and will soon cease. No significant correlation was evident between the dieldrin levels in soybeans and the area of the State where they had grown, the date of planting, or the variety.     

Pesticide residues in the total diet in Canada

A total diet, representative of a Canadian's daily food intake was formulated, grouped by types of food, and prepared as for eating. Analysis of these composites for residues showed eleven organochlorine but no organophosphorus pesticides. Residues were low and would yield an average total daily intake of 24μg/person/day. The level of arsenic was determined on one-quarter of the samples and was found to be consistently below 0.1 ppm.     

Pesticide residues in foodstuffs in Great Britain: Organochlorine residues in imported cereals,nuts, pulses and animal foodstuffs

Results are presented for the determination of organochlorine insecticide residues in imported cereals, nuts, pulses and animal foodstuffs for the 2 year period July 1969 to June 1971. BHC was found in all but four of the 248 samples examined but only in 25 (10%) did the level exceed 0.5 mg/kg. DDT was found in 39% of the samples of which three samples of wheat contained more than 1 mg/kg and two samples of cottonseed cake more than 0.5 mg/kg. The other commodities sampled had less than 0.2 mg/kg. DDE was detected in trace amounts in 26 % of the samples examined.