Organochlorine pesticides exposure & preterm birth

Commento su invito ad uno studio su esposizione fetale a composti organoclorurat

Prevention and control of contaminants of industrial processes and pesticides in the poultry production chain

The reduction in levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in food of animal origin in the past 30 years has been achieved especially by controlling entrance via the feed chain. A further reduction was achieved by registration and use of less persistent pesticides both for direct treatment of animals and of plant material. The remaining problems (e.g. dioxins and PCB's) are much harder to tackle. They are either of a ubiquitous nature and their impact might be enlarged by the present welfare trend requiring more contact of the animals with their environment, or they are of a sporadic nature making checking and control quite hard to execute. The present public demand for a farm animal production that is in balance with the animals' needs and a residue free product adds even more complications to the system

Managing strategies for organochlorine contaminated soils for a safe food production

Background: Organochlorine pesticides such as dieldrin, DDT and others are highly persistant pesticides, which were applied world wide against pests in horticulture, fruit and arable crops. Although they are forbidden since more than thirty years in the European Union (EU), the compounds remain still in soil. Several crops are known to accumulate these pesticides in eatable parts up to critical levels. For instance dieldrin is detected in high economic value crops such as cucumbers (Cucurbitaceae) and in tomatoes (Solanaceae). Besides plant type and climatic conditions, soil properties, e.g. pH and soil organic carbon content influence the pesticide uptake. In particular in labelled food and feed stuff production, such as organic farming according to EU Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91, consumer expectations in safe, high quality food are extremely high. Since organic farming is prospering – more than 10% of vegetable production is certified organic in Switzerland – the organochlorine residues in organic food stuff have become a major issue for food control authorities. Enquires showed that imported food from EU countries was partly highly contaminated with organochlorine pesticides such as pumpkin seed and oil. Hence, the organochlorine problem in food stuff is expected to occur EU wide

Regional differences and sources of organochlorine pesticides in soils surrounding chemical industrial parks

Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs; dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB)) were investigated in 105 soil samples collected in vicinity of the chemical industrial parks in Tianjin, China. OCP concentrations significantly varied in the study area, high HCH and DDT levels were found close to the chemical industrial parks. The intensity of agricultural activity and distance from the potential OCP emitters have important influences on the OCP residue distributions. Principal component analysis indicates that HCH pollution is a mix of historical technical HCH and current lindane pollution and DDT pollution input is only due to technical DDT sources. The significant correlations of OCP compounds reveal that HCHs, DDTs and HCB could have some similar sources of origin

Bioaccumulation of Organochlorines Pesticides (Ocp) Compound in Green Mussells (Perna Viridis) in Jakarta Bay

The green mussel, Perna viridis can be used to determine bioaccumulation levels of organochlorine pesticides in a marine environment. Measurements on pesticide organochlorine concentration in green mussels (Perna viridis) were conducted in March and May 2013. The purpose of this research was to determine the bioaccumulation level of organochlorine pesticides in green mussels which were cultivated in Jakarta Bay. The samples were collected in Jakarta Bay in March and May 2013. The organochlorine pesticides concentration were measured by gas chromatography HP 5890 series II. The results showed that the average concentration of organochlorine pesticides in the small size of green mussells was 12.842 ppb, in the medium size was 27.065 ppb, and in the big size was 108.646 ppb. These concentrations were still lower than safety threshold limit value for seafood stated by EPA (Environment Protection Agency) i.e., 1,500 ppb. The comparation between organochlorine pesticide concentration in seawater and organochlorine pesticide in green mussels (bioaccumulation factor) were 2,140 for small green mussel, 4,510 for medium green mussel, and 18,107 for big green mussels, respectively

Chlorinated organic contaminants in breast milk of New Zealand women.

Breast milk samples from 38 women in New Zealand were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) as part of a World Health Organization collaborative study of breast-milk contaminants. The women were recruited from two urban areas (Auckland and Christchurch) and two rural areas (Northland and North Canterbury) in the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The best predictor of contaminant concentrations in breast milk was found to be the age of the mother. Regional differences were found for hexachlorobenzene, dieldrin, and pp-DDE, reflecting historical use patterns. Urban-rural differences were found for several PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs when contaminant concentrations were calculated on a whole-milk basis. However, these differences could be attributed to variation in breast-milk fat concentrations between urban and rural mothers. Urban mothers had about 50% more breast-milk fat than rural mothers. Evidence suggests that breast-milk consumption by babies is regulated by caloric intake. Almost all of the caloric content of milk is in the fat fraction. This suggests that breast-milk contaminant levels calculated on a whole-milk basis do not necessarily reflect the relative levels of exposure of infants to these contaminants. However, the factors that influence breast-milk fat concentration deserve further study

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Marine Female Fishes of Lagos Lagoon

Three female fish species of Snapper (Lutjanus goreensis), Herring (Sardinella maderensis) and Oarfish (Regalecus glesne) were sampled from Lagos Lagoon during the dry and wet seasons of 2008 and 2009 and subjected to cold extraction and clean-up procedure. Their muscle tissues were analysed for chlorinated hydrocarbons because they can concen trate pesticide residues from sediments and water. The identification and quantitation of the chlorinated hydrocarbon residues were performed using a gas chromatograph with a 63 Ni electron capture detector. The fishes had condition factor of more than 1 except Regalecus glesne. A higher concentration of the residues was observed during the dry season. The residue distribution pattern in muscle tissues of the fishes were: Regalecus glesne > Sardinella maderensis > Lutjanus goreensis. Regalecus glesne recorded the highest chlorinated hydrocarbon content: 6181.16 ng/g. Except for endrin and heptachlor, the estimated daily intakes of the organochlorines were within the acceptable daily intakes while the levels of residues in the fishes were within the permissible residue limits