Determination of five ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs, lindane, aldrin, dieldrin, endosulfan, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) residues were carried out on four dairy products (cow milk, cheese, cream and butter) sampled from Tabriz, during 2009-2010 using GC-ECD. Lindane was detected with average of 1.4, <0.05, 0.53, 0.116 ng g-1 in cow’s milk, butter, cheese and cream samples, respectively. Aldrin was detected with means 2.21, <0.05, 0.31, 0. 36 ng g-1 and Dieldrin was detected with means 1.52, <0.05, 0.14, 0.074 ng g-1 in cow’s milk, butter, cheese and cream samples, respectively. Endosulfan was detected with means 1.05, <0.06, 0.18, <0.05 ng g-1 while DDT was detected with means 1.44, <0.07, 0.14, 0.83 ng g-1 in cow’s milk, butter, cheese and cream samples, respectively. This investigation revealed although the averages of OCPs residue in most samples were below the recommended MRLs by European Council Directives, Aldrin levels in some cow’s milk samples and Dieldrin levels in some butter samples exceeded legislated MRLs and may pose a health hazard. It also reflected the reduction use of ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDE in recent years in Tehran.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The vulnerability of the Sankana dam to ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDE contamination is a major cause for concern. Indigenes rely on the dam for drinking water and irrigation of their farmlands as well as for fish and other aquatic delicacies. Virtually there exists no study on the residual levels of ORGANOCHLORINE or other PESTICIDE contaminants in the dam despite its susceptibility to PESTICIDE contamination. In the present study, the levels of ORGANOCHLORINE residues in fish and sediments from the Sankana dam were assessed. METHODS: PESTICIDE residue extraction was achieved using acetonitrile containing 1% (v/v) acetic acid in the presence of sodium acetate, sodium citrate and magnesium sulphate followed by purification over activated florisil and sodium sulphate. Identification and quantification of residue extracts was done using a gas chromatograph conjugated with mass spectrometer. FINDINGS: In all, varying levels of 13 ORGANOCHLORINE residues were detected, 11 of which were found in fish and 12 in sediment. Average mean levels of ORGANOCHLORINE residues found in fish ranged from 0. 001-0. 277 mg/kg. Residual levels of beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, delta-hexachlorocyclohexane, gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane, endosulfan-A and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane in fish were relatively higher than their respective levels in sediment. ORGANOCHLORINE residues found in sediment also ranged from 0. 001-0. 091 mg/kg. Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, methoxychlor, heptachlor, gammachlordane and endosulfan-B residual levels in sediment were higher than the corresponding levels in fish. CONCLUSION: The study provides a baseline for continuous/regular monitoring of ORGANOCHLORINE contaminants in the Sankana dam and other waterbodies upstream and downstream. Where ORGANOCHLORINE residues exceeded their recommended permissible thresholds typically suggests possible recent/continuous use of such PESTICIDEs within the catchment area. There is therefore the need for appropriate measures and/or need to strengthen existing policies that bans the importation, sale and use of ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs via strict enforcement.

The determination of ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs in milk has been carried out through solid-phase extraction (SPE) and then separation and detection by a gas chromatographic method (GC- ECD). The procedure used for the extraction was an off-line method which uses a packed stainless-steel microcolumn (10mm x 3mm I.D.) Packed with 40 mg C18 packing. The microcolumn was used for 35-40 extractions. All the calibration curves were linear in the range 0.001-0.2 mg/m. Detection limits and percent recoveries for the above compounds varied between 8-30 ng/m and 30-60 percent, respectively. The developed method was applied to several milk samples including cow's, sheep's, pasturized and powdered milk.

Background and Objective: In this study, some samples of bed sediments from Rasht rivers were obtained and 19 ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs (OCPs) were determined for specifying the contamination profiles, distribution characteristics, effective factors and hazard of carcinogenic compounds. OCPs as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS) haskhown vast distribution, persistence and accumulation in the environment. Their high toxicity to humans and non-target organisms are a significant threat to human health and biodiversity. Method: Identify and determine the concentrations of ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs analysis were conducted on bed sediment samples by liquid-liquid micro extraction method and then by gas chromatography flame ionization (GC-FID) and via external standard calibration curve drawing. Findings: Based on the analysis, total concentration of OCPs is in the range of 2. 6-60. 2 ng/g, with an average of 20 ng/g. The main sources of pollution are Heptachlor, HCHs, DDTs and Endosulfans and highest contamination of the dominant pollutant DDE isomers belonges to sediments of Pir Bazar River. Discussion and Conclusion: The results are showed that there were various amounts of new and past entries. The analysis shows that the potential source of high levels of DDTs and HCHs residues of PESTICIDEs returns to the pastconsumptions.

Background and Objective: Milk is one of the most important components of human food. In recent decades, the continued use of PESTICIDEs has led to contamination of soil, water, air and milk and caused public concern in the community. Long-term exposure to PESTICIDE residuals in the food chain can be harmful. Therefore, there is a need to control environmental conditions in order to improve its healthy and sustainable food processing practices. Materials and Methods: In this study, 30 samples of raw milk were randomly collected in October 2020, from milk collection centers in Urmia and the residual PESTICIDEs were determined using gas chromatography– mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs were detected in some raw milk samples. The highest concentrations of Lindane (γ-HCH) were detected with the values ranging from 0. 3 to 0. 6 mg/kg in 5 milk samples. Atrazine was detected in 15 samples with the values ranging from 0. 8 to 1. 33 mg/kg and alachlor was found in 13 samples with the varied range of 0. 35 to o. 5 mg/kg. ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDE concentrations were higher than maximum residue level (MRL) in all contaminated milk samples according to the values mentioned by the European Union. Conclusion: This study showed that atrazine, lindane and alachlor were higher than MRL according to European Commission (EC). However, other ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs such as Heptachlor, Aldrin and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (α , β and γ ) were not detected.

Concentrations of hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (b, g, d HCH), dichlorodiphenyl trichloro ethane (pp’, op’DDT) and its metabolites ( pp’DDE, pp’DDD), aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan isomers (a, b) and metoxychlor were determined in Benni fish collected from Shadegan, Mahshahr and susangerd cities at Khozestan province in Iran. All the collected fish were contaminated by 14 investigated ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs. The highest and lowest mean concentrations of ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs belonged to b- HCH (65.36 mg/kg) and op’DDT (0.13 mg/kg) and were found in Mahshahr and Shadegan Benni fish respectively.

The levels of 19 ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDEs (OCPs) in surface water and under water sediments from tanks located nearby the prime agricultural areas of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India were investigated to evaluate their pollution risks. A total of 36 surface water samples at 9 sampling sites and 27 sediment samples at 9 sampling stations were collected from tanks, which were the water sources for cultivation. The total OCPs concentration in surface water and sediments were 5.68–25.12 ng/L and 17.7–58.59 ng/g dry weight (dw), respectively. Among the OCPs, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) and heptachlor epoxide were the most dominant compounds in the sediment as well as surface water. The dominant OCPs in sediment and water were b-HCH in HCHs, p, p′-DDD in DDTs and heptachlor epoxide in other OCPs. Distribution of HCHs, DDTs and other OCPs were different indicating their different sources. Composition analysis in sediments indicated a recent usage of lindane.