ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDE-RESIDUES IN HUMAN-MILK IN PUNJAB, INDIA

Human milk samples collected from areas having intensive cotton cultiv ation and sparce cotton cultivation in Punjab (India) were analysed fo r organochlorine insecticides. Both DDT and HCH were defected in almos t all the samples analysed. The average levels of SIGMA-DDT and SIGMA- HCH residues in samples from cotton-growing areas were significantly h igher than in those from areas where cotton is sparsely grown. Residue s of SIGMA-DDT mainly comprised p, p'-DDT and p, p'-DDE, while those o f SIGMA-HCH residues were mainly in the form of its beta-isomer. Media n values of 0.52 mug g-1 of SIGMA-DDT and 0-19 mug g-1 of SIGMA-HCH in samples of human milk from cotton-growing areas of Punjab (India) wer e higher than those reported from most other countries in the World.