Organochlorine pesticide residues in plants and their possible ecotoxicological and agri food impacts

B. Anjan Kumar Prusty,N. Sharpanabharathi,Rachna Chandra,P. A. Azeez,Rama Mohan Kurakalva

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-97286-4

Abstract

Scientific investigations on levels of Organochlorine Pesticide (OCP) residues in plants largely consider the edible parts (crops, vegetables, and fruit plants). Though the non-edible parts of plants are not eaten by human beings directly, these parts are consumed by livestock and other animals, thereby facilitating the flow of chemical residues through the food chain. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the concentration of OCP residues in non-edible plant parts to provide insights on their potential ecotoxicological impacts. Eighteen OCP residues were extracted in nine different plant species (banana Musa acuminate, brinjal Solanum melongena, Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus globulus, lotus Nelumbo nucifera, paddy Oryza sativa, sugarcane Saccharum officinarum, tapioca Manihot esculenta, tomato Lycopersicon esculentum) following QuEChERS method. The concentrations of OCP residues in plant extracts were determined using Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). The OCP residues, namely: γ-HCH (lindane), heptachlor epoxide isomer, dieldrin, endrin, endrin aldehyde and endrin ketone were found predominantly in seven plant species. Residues of γ-HCH (lindane) were reported in different parts of plant species such as stem (581.14 ng/g in paddy and 585.82 ng/g in tapioca) and leaf (583.3 ng/g in tomato). Seven samples contained residues of heptachlor epoxide isomer (512.53 to 1173.8 ng/g). Dieldrin was found in paddy stem (489.97 ng/g), tapioca stem (490.21 ng/g) and tapioca leaf (490.32 ng/g). The detected OCPs in the present study were 10–50 times higher than the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL, 0.01–0.1 mg/Kg) as prescribed in the Codex Alimentarius of the FAO/WHO. Their elevated concentrations in the plant parts therefore pose risk of contamination to the consumers in the food chain, including human beings those are dependent on the animals as source of protein. The findings of this study are the first report on residue levels of OCPs in non-edible plant parts in the agricultural landscape of Puducherry region, India. Since, this study assumes significance for the strategic location of Oussudu Lake, an interstate lake spread over Puducherry and Tamil Nadu states, regular monitoring of OCP residues in different environmental segments in strategic locations in both the states is suggested, which will help the authorities in devising a comprehensive environmental management plan aiming at the ecosystem at large.

Highlights

Scientific investigations on levels of Organochlorine Pesticide (OCP) residues in plants largely consider the edible parts
Many of the scientific investigations focused on determination of pesticide residue levels in fruits, v egetables[21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29] and grains[30,31,32] and many of the earlier studies have examined the level of OCP residues in the edible plant p arts[14,24,30] that are directly consumed by human, whereas the crop parts that remain unconsumed by human beings are scarcely studied[14]
Of the 18 OCP compounds analysed, residues of six compounds viz., γ-HCH, heptachlor epoxide isomer, dieldrin, endrin, endrin aldehyde and endrin ketone were found in seven plant samples (Fig. 2)

Summary

Introduction

Scientific investigations on levels of Organochlorine Pesticide (OCP) residues in plants largely consider the edible parts (crops, vegetables, and fruit plants). Many of the scientific investigations focused on determination of pesticide residue levels in fruits, v egetables[21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29] and grains[30,31,32] and many of the earlier studies have examined the level of OCP residues in the edible plant p arts[14,24,30] that are directly consumed by human, whereas the crop parts that remain unconsumed by human beings (such as roots, leaves, stems) are scarcely studied[14]. The ingestion of crops/plants by livestock carries a risk of biomagnification and its eventual transfer to human and other organisms occupying order trophic stages in the ecosystem In this context, the present work focuses on the evaluation of OCP residues in non-edible parts of plants and its possible implications on ecosystem from different villages in and around Oussudu Lake, Puducherry region, India

Methods

Results

Conclusion