Organochlorines and Organophosphates in Bovine Milk Samples in Allahabad Region

Organochlorine and Organophosphate pesticides are likely to pollute lipid-containing food sources, like milk (3-5% fat), owing to their lipophilicity, thereby jeopardizing the benefits of milk as a health food. Pesticide load in bovine milk may be from the leaching of pesticides persisting in the adipose tissue of the animal, or through direct contamination during milking or improper handling of milk.Bovine milk samples from small-scale rural and urban dairies were collected and investigated for selected array of Organochlorines and Organophosphates. The study revealed that BHC, is still the most common pollutant being present in 75% of the samples, followed by Methyl Parathion (37.5%), Dieldrin and 2,4 DDE (12.5% each). Mean quantity of Methyl Parathion (0.3496 mg/ kg : whole milk basis) was 1.7 times higher than BHC (mean 0.2104 mg/kg: whole milk basis). The mean value was 0.35 times higher than the ADI prescribed by Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1992, India, in case of Methyl Parathion, 1.05 times higher for BHC, 2.30 times for Dieldrin and 0.07 times for 2,4 DDE. Rural dairy samples carried higher load of Methyl Parathion which may be attributed to the large scale agricultural practices and unsafe handling in that area.