MP5 Agrochemicals and Pesticides
Monday, 14 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM in Exhibit Hall

(FAL-1117-727513) Organochlorine pesticides in store bought vegetables grown organically and traditionally.

Wolensky, B.¹, Falconer, R.¹, ¹ Chatham College, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

ABSTRACT- The demand for organically grown foods has increased dramatically in recent years. Organically grown foods are thought to be a safer choice because of low or no pesticide residues. However, regulations for organic products do not control past-use pesticides sprayed decades ago. Since most of the organochlorine pesticides used from the 1960's to the 1980's have half lives in soils on the order of decades, many soils still contain measurable residues. Vegetables grown in contaminated soil, in particular root vegetables, can be exposed to these residues and organic farming practices are unlikely to lessen this exposure. This survey looked at the differences in pesticide levels in vegetables purchased from local grocery and natural food stores labeled as either traditionally or organically grown. Samples were washed as a typical consumer would do. The skin and flesh were analyzed separately to determine the location of any pesticides. Samples were analyzed for a variety of organochlorine pesticides/metabolites including DDTs, chlordanes, oxychlordane, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin and hexachlorocyclohexanes. Pesticides were found at measurable, albeit low, levels in the vegetables. The skins typically had higher levels than the flesh. On average, no difference in levels was seen between organically and traditionally grown vegetables for these past use chemicals.

Key words: organochlorine, pesticides, vegetables, organic