PESTICIDE-RESIDUES IN HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL NUMIDA-MELEAGRIS LIVERS COLLECTED ON DECIDUOUS FRUIT FARMS IN THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE, SOUTH-AFRICA

The livers of 24 helmeted guineafowl Numida meleagris were collected f rom six deciduous fruit farms in the Elgin District, Western Cape prov ince, South Africa, during February 1994 to January 1995. Residues of beta-isomer endosulfan, endosulfan sulphate, and p,p' isomers of 1,1-d ichloro-2,2-bis(P-chlorophenyl) ethylene (DDE) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bi s(P-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDD) were detected in all of the guineafowl sampled. The ranges of the quantifiable concentrations of the pesticid e residues detected were: beta-endosulfan 0.002-0.036 ppm, endosulfan sulphate 0.071-2.69 ppm, p,p' DDE 0.023-0.719 ppm and p,p' DDD 0.001-0 .215 ppm. There were no seasonal trends in the pesticide residues and annual variance was high (beta-end CV = 90.0%, end-s CV = 95.7%, DDE C V = 81.2%, DDD CV = 60.0%).