Studies on organochlorine pesticide residues in butter in Punjab

The present study was conducted to investigate the magnitude of contamination of butter with pesticide residues in Punjab. Organochlorine pesticide residues were analyzed in twenty eight samples of commercially available butter brands and of home made butter collected from various parts of Punjab. The estimation was carried out by using multi residue analytical technique employing GC-ECD. All the samples of butter showed detectable residues of one or more organochlorine pesticides such as DDT, HCH, endosulphan and aldrin. The range of levels of ΣHCH residues was 0.092- 0.645 mg kg^-1. Mean α, β- and γ- and δ- HCH residue concentration in butter was 0.098, 0.048, 0.196 and 0.01 mg kg^-1, respectively. The range of levels of Σ DDT residues in butter was BDL - 0.469 mg kg^-1. Mean concentration of p,p’ ΣDDD, p,p’-DDE and p,p’- DDT was 0.142, 0.114 and 0.022 mg kg^-1 respectively. All samples of butter had ΣDDT residues below MRL of 1.25 ppm but 53 per cent butter samples had gamma-HCH residues more that MRL of 0.2 ppm as prescribed by PFA in India.