Pesticide contamination in cauliflower and related health risk assessment in Gurugram, India

Abstract

Imprudent use of pesticides in agriculture has resulted in increased concentrations of pesticides in food. Consumption of pesticide-contaminated vegetables can cause many chronic and acute health problems for consumers. Vegetables are an important part of the human diet as they are a source of vitamins and minerals. Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) is a frequently consumed vegetable in India and has high nutritional value. In the present study, cauliflower was scanned for organochlorines, organophosphates, synthetic pyrethroids and some other classes of pesticides. The pesticides were extracted from the vegetable using quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe extraction techniques, and the extracts were analysed on Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). All samples were contaminated with pesticide residues. The pesticides detected in the samples were aldrin (0.018 mg/kg), chlorpyrifos (0.02 - 0.04 mg/kg), cypermethrin (0.03 mg/kg), deltamethrin (0.018 - 0.04 mg/kg), malathion (0.02 mg/kg), o,p-dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (0.02mg/kg), and phorate (0.02 - 0.03 mg/kg). Cauliflower samples collected from Manesar showed the presence of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin. Concentrations of chlorpyrifos were above the maximum residue limits recommended by the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 2004. The health risk index was highest for aldrin (0.08) and lowest for malathion (2.67·10-5).