OBJECTIVESTo investigate the change of pesticide residues in Chinese dietary through analysis on results of the pesticide residues in the Chinese total diet study carried out the first in 1990.

METHODSOrganochlorine, such as HCH and DDT of 9 groups and 15 organophosphorus pesticide residues of 3 groups in four regions of China were determined by gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and gas chromatography-flame photometric detector (GC-FPD) respectively. According to the amount of pesticide residues in various foods and the amount of food consumption in different areas, we calculated the amount of dietary intake of pesticide residues, then compared with the acceptable daily intake (ADI) or provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI). The contaminated samples were validated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

RESULTSResults showed that the total dietary daily intake of HCH per person was decreasing from 5.04 micro g in 1990 to 3.11 micro g in 2000, where as the total dietary daily intake of DDT per person was decreasing from 20.47 micro g in 1990 to 2.15 micro g in 2000. The result was less than 1 percent difference of PTDI (0.01 mg/kg bw) established by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) in 2000. Compared to the results in 1990, the intake of HCH from animal foods increased a little, due to the contaminated of aquatic products by Lindan in the second Southern region and the first Northern region. None of the organophosphorous pesticide residues analyzed were detected in cereals, vegetables and fruits.

CONCLUSIONThe intake level of pesticide residues in Chinese dietary in 2000 was considered to be low, and the abuse of organophosphorous pesticide seemed to be under effective control.