LEVELS OF PESTICIDE-RESIDUES IN FOOD - EVALUATION OF DATA FROM TOTAL DIET STUDIES IN ITALY

Total Diet Studies on pesticide residues in foods carried out in Italy in the last two decades are briefly summarized and data are discussed . Health risk assessment is expressed by the ratio total intake/ADI(%A DI ingested) for each compound and by the sum of the percentages of AD I for each compound within the same class of pesticides. The total die tary intake of chlorinated pesticides, that was almost 100% of ADI in the years 1970-74, decreased down to 10% in the period 1978-84. This t rend was confirmed for DDT in recent years, while data on Lindane and Heptachlor seem to be constant. As regards the organophosphorus pestic ides the sum of the percentages of ADI ingested for each compound, ext rapolated from recent data (1990-1991) is about 20% and can be regarde d as reasonably acceptable because the study included practically all the mainly used compounds. Only few data are available for some pestic ides like dithiocarbamates, especially EBDCs and their derivatives (e. g. ETU), other carbamates (e.g. aldicarb), paraquat etc. Moreover, ana lytical methods for these compounds should be improved. The need for a considerable improvement in the number and organization of monitoring structures, in the use of standardized analytical procedures, in good laboratory practice standards and in the realibility of ''monitoring protocols'' and their homogeneity is evidenced.