Dietary intake and residues of organochlorine pesticides in foods from Hsinchu, Taiwan

Abstract

The levels of contamination with various organochlorine pesticides (such as total HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, endosulfan, and total DDT) of different foods from 3 traditional markets were determined to estimate Taiwanese daily intake of organochlorine pesticides. Of the 18 organochlorine pesticides investigated, α-HCH, α-HCH, lindane, δ-HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin, endrin, α-endosulfan, p,p′-DDE, and p,p′-DDT were detected at concentrations ranging from 0.26 to 10.2 ng/g wet weight. Contamination with organochlorine pesticides followed the order heptachlor > dieldrin > α-endosulfan > HCH isomers > heptachlor epoxide > DDT. Frequencies of detection of organochlorine pesticide residues ranged from 2.0 to 52.3%. α-Endosulfan was the most frequently detected organochlorine pesticide in the foods analyzed, followed by heptachlor epoxide (47.6%) and α-HCH (38.9%). Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of organochlorine pesticides from foods were 1.137 μg for total HCH, 2.147 μg for heptachlor, 0.702 μg for heptachlor epoxide, 0.624 μg for endosulfan, 0.098 μg for cyclodiene, and 0.541 μg for total DDT. These EDIs were only 0.075% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for lindane, 47.5% of ADI for heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide, 0.045% of ADI for total DDT, and 1.01% of ADI for aldrin and dieldrin. Therefore, consumption of the foods analyzed does not pose a risk to consumer health.