ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDE-RESIDUES IN TOTAL DIET SAMPLES FROM ARAGON (NORTHEASTERN SPAIN)

Samples of different meals of the average diet consumed in Aragon (nor theastern Spain) were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography to dete rmine residues of 21 organochlorine pesticides. Only hexachlorobenzene (HCB), gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane), o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, p,p '-DDT, and beta-endosulfan were detected in the samples. On the whole, the prevalence of contamination decreased from gamma-HCH (21.0%) to D DT (13.2%) to HCB (10.3%) to endosulfan, which was detected only in 0. 4% of samples. Fatty meals (egg meals > legumes > fish > meat) were mo st contaminated, responsible for 90% of the contamination detected. Th e levels of these organochlorine compounds were well below the respect ive maximum residue limits set by current European regulations. The av erage level of contamination of the Aragonese diet was believed to be totally harmless and indicated a clear decrease of the presence of org anochlorines in foods as reported in other developed countries.