Pesticide Residues in Bovine Milk in Punjab, India: Spatial Variation and Risk Assessment to Human Health

Abstract

In the present study, gas chromatographic analysis of pesticide residues in bovine milk (n = 312) from Punjab, India, showed chlorpyrifos, DDT, and γ-HCH as the predominant contaminants. In addition, the presence of β-endosulfan, endosulfan suphate, cypermethrin, cyhalothrin, fenvalerate, deltamethrin, malathion, profenofos, and ethion was reported in milk samples. In this study, it was observed that 12 milk samples exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for γ-HCH (lindane), 18 for DDT and chlorpyrifos, and 1 sample each for endosulfan, cypermethrin, and profenophos. In India, DDT is still permitted for a malaria control program, which may be the plausible reason for its occurrence in milk samples. The spatial variation for presence of pesticide residues in milk indicated greater levels in cotton-growing areas of Punjab. At current levels of pesticide residues in bovine milk, the human health risk assessment in terms of noncancer and cancer hazard was calculated based on both lower-bound [LB (mean residue levels)] and upper-bound [UP (95th percentile level)] limits. It was noticed that cancer and noncancer risk were within United States Environmental Protection Agency prescribed limits for both adults and children at the LB, but children were being exposed to greater risk for DDT and HCH at the 95th-percentile UB level.

An assessment of the impacts of pesticide use on the environment and health of rice farmers in Sierra Leone

“…These pesticides are sold under different brand names such as "Sarifos", "Yarifos", "Tricel". Pesticides such as these have been reported to exhibit a range of effects on both exposed people and the environment (Alcocer et al, 2000;Acker and Nogueira, 2012;Alves et al, 2012;Androutsopoulos et al, 2012;Ali et al, 2014;Mahamood et al, 2014;Bedi et al, 2015). This is an indication that the way pesticides are used in Sierra Leone can be hazardous to both the people exposed to pesticides and the environment.…”

Novel acaricides by nanotechnology against cattle ticks and their effect on physiological and productive performance

“…but they were found lower than European maximum residues level (MRL= 8 µg /l). Similarly, Faouder et al (2007) and Bedi et al (2015) were reported that fipronil pesticide is used as flea and tick sprays for domestic animals hence it was excreted in milk.…”

Pesticide residues in milk and their relationship with pesticide contamination of feedstuffs supplied to dairy cattle in Punjab (India)

“…This may be related to the imposition of ban/restriction on use of DDT and technical hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) (α-, β-, γ-and δ-isomers) and increasing use of OPs and SPs groups as a replacement for persistent OCPs (Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, 2015) which is indicated by the occurrence of OPs and SPs even in human breast milk (Feo et al, 2012;Bedi et al, 2013). Similarly, the presence of OPs residues in bovine milk has already been reported by Pagliuca et al (2006) and Bedi et al (2015) and is mainly attributed to the ability of OPs to covalently link with milk proteins. Cheema et al (2004) have also reported the presence of chlorpyrifos in 6.7% of milk samples collected from Punjab (India), and concentrations in all of these samples exceeded MRL values.…”