Pesticides foodstuffs

Medicinal products, cosmetics, explosives, nx)tective chemicals (sUmicides and wood preservatives), pesticides, foodstuffs, food additives, animal feed and feed additives, fertilisers, wastes and chemicals in transit are exempt from the notification provisions of the Chemicals Act. Substances supplied at <10 kg a and polymers which contain <2% of a new substance monomer are also exempt from notification, but are subject to the standard reporting to the National Board of Labour Protection if they are classified as toxic or very toxic . Finally, substances sujqdied at <100 kg a for scientific research or for commercial development to a limit number of customers without tonnage restriction for one year only (which may be extended to 2 years) do not have to be notified, but certain relevant information is required by the National Board of Health. 

Professor Anthony D Dayan BSc MD FRCP FRCPath FIBiol has been Professor of Toxicology at St Bartholomew s Royal London School of Medicine Dentistry since 1984. He was previously Head of Toxicology at the Wellcome Foundation Limited. He is a member of UK and EC regulatory committees concerned with pharmaceuticals, pesticides, foodstuffs and industrial chemicals, and has published papers on aspects of pathology, toxicology, immunotoxicology and animal experimentation. 

Biosensors ai e widely used to the detection of hazardous contaminants in foodstuffs, soil and fresh waters. Due to high sensitivity, simple design, low cost and real-time measurement mode biosensors ai e considered as an alternative to conventional analytical techniques, e.g. GC or HPLC. Although the sensitivity and selectivity of contaminant detection is mainly determined by a biological component, i.e. enzyme or antibodies, the biosensor performance can be efficiently controlled by the optimization of its assembly and working conditions. In this report, the prospects to the improvement of pesticide detection with cholinesterase sensors based on modified screen-printed electrodes are summarized. The following opportunities for the controlled improvement of analytical characteristics of anticholinesterase pesticides ai e discussed ... 

EEC Directive on pesticide residues m foodstuffs of animal origin... 

Egan H, Holmes DC, Roburn J, et al. 1966. Pesticide residues in foodstuffs in Great Britain II. Persistent organochlorine pesticide residues in selected foods. J Sci Food Agric 17 563-569. 

Monitors pesticides and other contaminants in, primarily, fruits, and vegetables Monitors pesticides and other contaminants in raw and processed foods Monitor foodstuffs of specific interest to those states... 

Pesticide residue levels in foodstuffs are generally regulated in order to ... 

Owing to the complexity of multi-residue methods for products of animal origin, it is not possible to outline a simple scheme however, readers should refer to methods described in two references for detailed guidance (Analytical Methods for Pesticides in Foodstuffs, Dutch method collection and European Norm EN 1528. ) There is no multi-method specifically designed for body fluids and tissues. The latter matrix can be partly covered by methods for products of animal origin. However, an approach published by Frenzel et al may be helpful (method principle whole blood is hemolyzed and then deproteinized. After extraction of the supernatant, the a.i. is determined by GC/MS. The LOQ is in the range 30-200 ag depending on the a.i.). 

Analytical Methods for Pesticide Residues in Foodstuffs, Ministry of Pubhc Health, Welfare and Sport, Amsterdam, 6th edn. (1996). 

To demonstrate the validity of an analytical method, data regarding working range/ calibration, recovery, repeatability, specificity and LOQ have to be provided for each relevant sample matrix. Most often these data have to be collected from several studies, e.g., from several validation reports of the developer of the method, the independent laboratory validation or the confirmatory method trials. If the intended use of a pesticide is not restricted to one matrix type and if residues are transferred via feedstuffs to animals and finally to foodstuffs of animal origin, up to 30 sets of the quality parameters described above are necessary for each analyte of the residue definition. Table 2 can be used as a checklist to monitor the completeness of required data. 

Although the improved extraction kinetics also increase the concentration of coextractives in the final extract, some degree of selectivity can be achieved by careful selection of the solvent or solvents used. Matrix co-extractives may be removed, or at least partially removed, by placing a suitable sorbent, such as alumina, at the exit of the extraction cell to remove lipid co-extractives. Excellent recoveries of both polar and nonpolar pesticides from a wide range of foodstuffs have been reported. Specific applications include organophosphorus and A-methylcarbamate pesticides. 

Committee for Analytical Methods for Residue of Pesticides and Veterinarian Products in Foodstuffs by Headspace Method, of MAFF, Report by the Panel of the Determination of Dithiocar-bamate Residues, Ana/yit, 106,781 (1981). 

Multi-residue Method S19 of the DFG Manual,including Cieanup Procedure Xll-6 (gel-chromatographic cleanup), has been used successfully in many laboratories because of its broad applicability for the gas-chromatographic determination of pesticide residues in foodstuffs. DFG method S19 is also included in the respective European Standards. Subsequently, a modification of the extraction and partition step has been implemented. The modified method requires less experimental effort and eliminates the use of dichloromethane, which is an undesirable solvent for toxicological and ecological reasons. As the results from validation studies demonstrate,... 

Multi-residue Method 2 Pesticides Analysed with HPLC Procedures, Submethod 1 N-methylcarbamate Pesticides, in Analytical Methods for Pesticide Residues in Foodstuffs, sixth edition. General Inspectorate for Health Protection, Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport, The Hague, pp. 1-10 (1996). 

There are two main types of proficiency testing scheme. First, there are those set up to assess the competence of a group of laboratories to undertake a very specific analysis, e.g. lead in blood or the number of asbestos fibres in air collected on membrane filters. Secondly, there are those schemes used to evaluate the performance of laboratories across a certain sector for a particular type of analysis. Because of the wide range of possible analyte/matrix combinations it is not practicable to assess the performance of laboratories when analysing all the possible sample types. Instead, a representative cross-section of analyses is chosen (e.g. determination of different pesticide residues in a range of foodstuffs or the determination of trace levels of metals in water samples). 

HPLC has had considerable success in separating compounds as diverse as steroids, carbohydrates, vitamins, dyestuffs, pesticides and polymers. It is used routinely for the assay of pharmaceutical products, the monitoring of drugs and metabolites in body fluids and for other biomedical, biochemical and forensic applications, such as the detection of drugs of abuse. The determination of additives in foodstuffs and beverages including sugars,... 

Existing chemical substances do not have to be notified. These are defined as those listed on the European Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances (EINECS) (a. 1), a list of approximately 100,000 substances reported as being supplied in the EU during the reporting period of 1 January 1971 to 18 September 1981 (389, 394). Also the DSD does not apply to medicinal products, cosmetic products, wastes, foodstuffs, pesticides, biocides and radioactive substances. 

Mirex has been detected in air, surface water, soil and sediment, aquatic organisms, and foodstuffs. Historically, mirex was released to the environment primarily during its production or formulation for use as a fire retardant and as a pesticide. There are no known natural sources of mirex and production of the compound was terminated in 1976. Currently, hazardous waste disposal sites and contaminated sediment sinks in Lake Ontario are the major sources for mirex releases to the environment (Brower and Ramkrishnadas 1982 Comba et al. 1993). 

Although the use of DDT has been banned in the United States, a large stockpile remains and other countries continue its use. In the early 1980s, DDT levels were observed to be increasing on land and in the coastal waters of the United States. This DDT is thought to be derived from either the illegal use of the pesticide or from the import of foodstuffs grown with its use. Animals can also be important transport mechanisms fiar... 

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