Contamination of poultry feed and eggs with organochlorine pestieide residues at a layer farm in punjab, India

Abstract

The aim of the present investigation was to monitor organochlorine pesticide residues in poultry feed and eggs at a selected layer farm for 1 year. The samples were Soxhlet extracted for 8 hr in 200-ml hexane-acetone (1:1, v/v) mixture. The clean up of the samples was performed by silica gel column chromatography. The residues in cleaned up extracts were estimated using a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector (ECD, Ni 63. The results revealed that in poultry.feed, the mean levels of HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) were 0.83 mg kg-1 while those of DDT (dichlorodiphenyl trichoroethane) were 0.76 rng kg-1, while the total HCH and DDT levels in eggs were 0.28 and 0.42 mg kg-1 respectively. The mean levels of endosulphan sulphate in poultry feed were 0.22 mg kg-1while the corresponding levels in eggs were 0.08 mg kg-1. The study concluded that high levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in poultry feed including total HCH and DDT and their presence in eggs at the farm indicated that poultry feed could be one of the major sources of contamination for eggs. These residues were present despite a complete ban on the use of technical HCH and DDT for agricultural purposes in India