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The monitoring programme for pesticide residues in food undertaken by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF) through its Pesticide Control Service (PCS), at Backweston, Co. Kildare, is aimed at ensuring that consumers are not exposed to unacceptable pesticide residue levels.

Regarding the public concerns about serious health risks from pesticide, the occurrences of 105 pesticide residues including Organochlorine, Organophosphorus, Organonitrogen, Dicarboximides, Strobilurin, Triazine, Pyrethroids were assessed using a descriptive method in 25 fresh and greenhouse vegetable samples (fresh carrot, greenhouse tomato and cucumber).

This draft CARICOM standard was prepared by the Regional technical Committee (RTC) for Agricultural Commodities, hosted by the CARICOM Member State, Dominica.

Considering the stiff competition from various fruit producing countries, Indian growers have the great responsibility to keep the pesticide residue levels to the minimum to meet international standards. Various research organisations have developed integrated approaches to control pest and disease problems.

Pesticides are very expensive chemicals and require a lot of investment and research effort and thus their useful life needs to be prolonged through judicious use. Contrary to the opinion of many, it is now well established that pesticides have a definite role to play in pest management, as they offer the only means to combat damaging levels of pest incidence.

The new subsidiary legislation to govern pesticide residues in food proposed by Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. Will take a positive list approach by primarily adopting the maximum residue limits and extraneous maximum residue limits of pesticides recommended by Codex.

Pot experiments was conducted to observe the impact of CdCl2, CuCl2, Pb(NO3)2 and ZnCl2 on chlorophylls of Brassica juncea, Brassica rapa, Lactuca sativa, Lepidium sativum and Daucus carota. Present studies suggest that depletion of essential micronutrients like Zn and Fe; or Zn and Cu; or Fe and Mn in the plant body after heavy metal accumulation may be one of the causes for chlorophyll loss.

A study was conducted in Eloor Industrial Area of Ernakulam district of Kerala to assess the level of environmental pollution by pesticide manufacturing factories in this region. Samples like blood, urine, dung and milk were collected from cattle belonging to this area and were analysed for DDT residues using the Gas Liquid Chromatography.

The study involves the atomic absorption analysis of four selected heavy metals lead, cadmium, zinc and copper pollution in the soil samples of Pala municipality. A total of 120 surface soil samples (0-5 cm) and corresponding 120 sub-surface soil samples (5-10 cm) were collected from industrial, agricultural, road side and institutional areas.

Though a consumer may not be able to tell the difference, a striking red and blue Thomas the Tank Engine made in Wisconsin is not the same as one manufactured in China - the paint on the Chinese twin may contain dangerous levels of lead. In the same way, a plump red tomato from Florida is often not the same as one grown in Mexico. The imported fruits and vegetables found in our shopping carts in winter and early spring are grown with types and amounts of pesticides that would often be illegal in the United States.

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