TITLE:
Quantification of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in the Buffalo Milk Samples of Delhi City, India
AUTHORS:
Mohd Aslam, Sumbul Rais, Masood Alam
KEYWORDS:
Organochlorine Pesticides; Residues; Buffalo Milk; Delhi
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.4 No.9,
August
29,
2013
ABSTRACT:
The ill effects of green revolution
include residues of extensively used chemical pesticides in various
environmental components. The present study was designed to analyze the levels
of organochlorine pesticide residues along with chemical composition in buffalo
milk samples collected from different localities of Delhi. Milk monitoring can
yield information about the kinds and quantities of pesticides in the
environment as well as in our daily diet. In this study, the residue of three
different organochlorine pesticides, namely Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane
(DDT) and Endosulfan have been reported. Residues of Lindane exceeded the
Maximum Residual Limit values in 50% of the samples is a cause of serious
concern. The p,p’-DDT
was detected in 70% of the samples with p,p’-DDE
(dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) in 80% of the milk samples of different
parts of Delhi state. DDD (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) another metabolite of p,p’-DDT was
detected in 65% of the milk samples. The analysis indicates that DDT is the
major contaminants in different parts of Delhi state. α and β endosulfan were
detected in 35% and 40% of the samples analyzed. The statistical correlation
shows no significant correlation between chemical compositions of the samples.
The presence of multiple chemicals in virtually all samples of buffalo milk
raises new questions about the possible toxicological impacts of chemical
mixtures on an infant’s developing nervous and immune systems and reproductive
organs.