Organochlorine pesticide residues assessed in a greenhouse survey in 2005 and a concept of bioavailability experiments

Summary

Organochlorine pesticides (OCP’s), such as dieldrin or DDT, were applied world wide against pests in horticulture, fruit and arable crops. Although OCP’s were banned 20 years ago, they still persist in soils and are taken up by the plants (Mandl and Lindner 1999). OCP residues in soil, for instance dieldrin, has been detected in high economic value crops (Wyss et al., 2004) such as cucumber and pumpkin (Cucurbitaceae), which strongly accumulate OCP in their fruits. Consumers generally expect that food is safe and uncontaminated, but those who buy organically grown products are particularly concerned about health and thus sensitive to food quality. Therefore, OCP residues in organic food stuff have become a major issue not only for food control authorities, but also for organic farming labels.