Organochlorine pesticide residues in the Irish environment

An Foras Talúntais (The Agricultural Institute) has been monitoring organochlorine pesticide residues in the Irish environment since 1964. This paper reports results for residue levels in foodstuffs, human fat, terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. The samples were obtained from a variety of sources, e.g., food commodities from retail channels in different areas of the country; wildlife specimens from government departments, semi-state bodies, the universities and members of the public. The samples were analysed for organochlorine residues by gas-liquid chromatography, with electron capture detection. Some of the results were confirmed by chemical reaction techniques or thin-layer chromatography, or both. The results show that low or very low levels of organochlorine pesticides and/or their breakdown products are widely dispersed in the Irish environment; the levels of organochlorine residues in Irish-produced foodstuffs are low, being well within the limits proposed by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission.