Residues and persistence of endosulfan in dry tobacco leaves and cigarettes

Endosulfan and lindane are the only two organochlorine insecticides in use in Greece. They are used to protect tobacco crops, which is one of the main agricultural products. Dry tobacco leaves from various growers in Northern and Central Greece and several brands of cigarettes were analyzed for endosulfan and lindane residues. Lindane residues in tobacco leaves ranged from 0-50 ppb with one of 428 samples at the 227 ppm level. No relation between geographical location and endosulfan residues was found, but high mean levels were found in areas where tobacco growing was more intense. Only 34 of the 428 samples had residues over 3.0 ppm. Endosulfan residues were found to diminish after about 13 months of storage. Lindane residues in cigarettes were close to the detection limit and some endosulfan residues were high compared to levels found in most tobacco leaf samples.