Persistent organochlorine pesticide levels in cow's milk samples from tropical regions of Mexico.

Organochlorine pesticides have been used in agriculture as a seed dresser, in sanitation, in malaria control programmes and in livestock to combat ectoparasites. Their residues accumulate in lipid-rich tissues due to their chemical stability and persistence. In the body they circulate throughout all compartments, deposit themselves in adipose fat and can be excreted during lactation. These pesticides are applied in tropical zones and drift to areas where cattle graze. Therefore, analyses of cow's milk samples can serve as an indicator of environmental and cows' exposure to them. One hundred and fifty milk samples were taken each year in 1998 and 2001 and analysed to determine concentrations of HCB, beta-HCH, pp"-DDE, op'-DDT and pp'-DDT. Results obtained indicate that beta-HCH is one of the main contaminants (0.106 and 0.087 mg x kg(-1) on fat basis) followed by pp'-DDT (0.078 and 0.037 mg x kg(-1) on fat basis) and pp'-DDE (0.051 and 0.033 mg x kg(-1) on fat basis). The HCB and op'-DDT were detected in lower quantities respectively (0.008 and 0.006 mg x kg(-1), and 0.031 and 0.010 mg x kg(-1) on fat basis). When comparing the results obtained with those from the previous study, it was noted that DDT levels decreased significantly in 2001 as a result of the substitution of the organochlorine insecticides with pyrethroids sprayed by the Mexican Ministry of Health to combat malaria since 1999.