Organochlorine pesticides in water, sediment, crops, and human fluids in a farming community in Ghana.

A total of 208 samples of water, sediment, tomato crops, blood, and mothers' breast milk were collected from the environs of Akumadan, a prominent vegetable-farming community in Ghana. The samples were analyzed for organochlorine (OC) pesticide residues. Lindane and endosulfan were found in water and sediment, while other OC pesticide residues, such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p'-DDE, and heptachlor epoxide, were additionally found in sediment. Heptachlor epoxide was the only OC residue detected in appreciable quantity in crops. Significantly higher HCB and p,p'-DDE residues were found in blood and milk samples. The mean values of HCB and p,p'-DDE in blood were 30 microg/kg and 380 microg/kg, respectively. The mean values of HCB and p,p'-DDE in milk were 40 microg/kg fat (1.75 microg/kg whole milk) and 490 microg/kg fat (17.15 microg/kg whole milk), respectively. The presence of OC pesticide residues in breast milk requires further monitoring and epidemiological studies to clarify possible detrimental health effects in breast-fed infants.