PESTICIDE-RESIDUES IN MILK AND CHEESES FROM GREECE

Thirty-eight samples of bovine milk and 28 samples of three types of c heese were collected throughout Greece during 1991 and 1992, and analy zed for 13 organochlorine insecticides, three herbicides, and one orga nophosphorus insecticide residues. Eleven milk samples (28.9% of analy zed samples) contained residues of one or more of the following: linda ne, alpha-isomeric hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-BHC), 1,1-bis[p-chloro phenyl]-2,2-dichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), and methyl parathion at conce ntrations below the maximum permitted. Lindane was detected in five sa mples at concentrations of 0.8 to 7 ng/g of fat of milk, alpha-BHC in two samples at concentrations 16 and 18 ng/g, p,p'-DDE in four samples at concentrations of 14 to 32 ng/g, and methyl parathion in two sampl es at concentrations 43 and 280 ng/g. Nine cheese samples (32.1%) cont ained residues of one or more of alpha-BHC, p,p'-DDE, lindane and aldr in-dieldrin. The range of concentrations were 0.8 to 2 ng/g for lindan e, 4 to 10 ng/g for alpha-BHC, 20 to 70 ng/g for p,p'-DDE and 0.2 ng/g for aldrin. All mean concentrations found were below the maximum limi ts permitted by the European Union. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.