Determination of OCPs and POPs residues in local produce in Qatar and their health implications

Abstract

In this study, a total of 49 samples of fruits and vegetables (dates, leafy vegetables and fruiting vegetables) produced locally in the farms in Qatar and 42 samples of soil and water from these farms were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detector (GC/ECD), and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to detect residual levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The levels of OCPs of all samples were below the MRLs. The correlation analysis results showed that water and soil could be a potential source of the contamination of a-BHC, b-BHC, heptachlor, g-chlordane and endrin in the fruit and vegetable samples. In this study, a risk assessment analysis was also performed to estimate daily intake of OCPs by Qatari population. The risk assessment study revealed that the intake of the studied OCPs posed no risk to human health due to their levels of intake below MRLs