Criteria for evaluating pesticide residues in children's diet.

By studying the exposure of the human organism to chlorinated pesticide residues, revealed on the basis of ecological studies in the food chain in Czechoslovakia, the authors proved that the exposure was relatively low for the adult population (except for HCB), but with regard to the children's organism the acceptable daily intake (ADI) was in some cases overpassed. As the ADI's in DDT and gamma-HCH would be overstepped 1, 2 times and in HCB 7 times approximately even when observing the standing maximum residual limits (MRL's), the authors arrived at the conclusion that these MRL's should be reduced 15 times. The reasonability of such considerations in Czechoslovakia is supported by the assessment of the actual daily intake of pesticide residues, determined on the basis of both the actually found residue levels by 10 Czechoslovak institutes and in that of the daily consumption of fundamental foodstuffs. The intake in sigma DDT, sigma HCH, gamma-HCH and HCB reached the values of 0.424; 1.376; 1.145 and 3.085 micrograms per 1 kg of body weight a day, respectively.