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MONITORING THE TRANSFER OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES FROM SOFT SURFACES TO FOODS
Citation:
Rohrer, C., M R. Berry Jr., M. Roberds, G G. Akland, AND E. D. Pellizzari. MONITORING THE TRANSFER OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES FROM SOFT SURFACES TO FOODS. Presented at AOAC International Meeting, Houston, TX, September 26-30, 1999.
Description:
The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 requires assessing pesticide residue exposures to children. Contact of soft surfaces by foods and the ingestion of the food represents a pesticide exposure pathway. Chlorpyrifos has widespread use indoors and would be protected from environmental degradation by rain, sun or temperature fluctuations. Pesticides are known to accumulate on surfaces after indoor pesticide application. Children's exposure to pesticides from surfaces such as napkins and tablecloths is related to residue amounts present on surfaces prior to contact, the foods contacted and their transfer coefficient. Surfaces contaminated with pesticides were evaluated for transferable residues by pressing with C-18 disks, swabbing the surface with isopropanol wipes, and contacting with foods. GC/MS was utilized for quantitation of pesticides. Average transfers of chlorpyrifos from tablecloth to bologna were 8.2% and 8.7%, respectively, with and without 3.5 g/cm2 applied pressure. These data suggest pesticides are transferred to foods ingested by children. However, significance of exposure will depend on food type, time of contact, frequency and pressure.