Organochlorine and organophosphorus residues in the fat of domestic farm animal species, Ontario, Canada 1986-1988.

During the period 1986-1988 a total of 602 samples of animal products were analysed for organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides and industrial organic pollutants. Samples of abdominal fat were collected from avian, bovine, caprine, lupine, ovine and porcine species together with hen eggs. The following six compounds were identified in animal tissues: DDE, dieldrin, lindane, PCB, pentachlorophenol and tetrachlorophenol. Pentachlorophenol was the most frequently found contaminant, being identified in 35% of samples, and DDE was the second in 21%. All other contaminants were present in less than 10% of samples. The residues of all six compounds detected were added to give a combined residue. Forty-three per cent of samples had non-detectable residues. A further 31% had combined residues adding to less than 0.01 mg/kg. The highest combined residues ranged between 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg and were present in 2.8% of samples. One egg sample had a residue of 0.16 mg/kg that exceeded the 0.1 mg/kg maximum residue limit for pentachlorophenol. Residues of chlordane and its metabolites, heptachlor and its epoxide, endosulphan and its sulphate metabolite, dicofol, HCB and mirex were below their detection limits in all samples and no residues of the organophosphorus insecticide listed as applied to livestock were found in meat, fat or egg tissues.