Pesticide Residues in Milk and Milk Products - Pesticides: Evaluation of Environmental Pollution - page 575

18
Pesticide R esidues in Milk and Milk Products
N. C. Basantia and S. K. Saxena
CONTENTS
18.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 575
18.2 Entry of Pesticide Residues into Milk ............................................................................. 576
18.3 Hazardous Nature of Pesticide Residues in Milk Compared to Other Sources....... 576
18.4 Current Levels of Pesticide Residues in Milk and Milk Products in Different
Regions ................................................................................................................................ 578
18.5 Effects of Processing Treatments on Pesticide Residues in Milk and Milk
Products............................................................................................................................... 578
18.6 Maximum Residual Limits............................................................................................... 579
18.7 Quantification of Pesticide Residues in Milk and Milk Products............................... 579
18.7.1 Sample Preparation ............................................................................................... 581
18.7.2 Extraction ................................................................................................................ 581
18.7.3 Cleanup ................................................................................................................... 581
18.7.4 Separation and Detection ..................................................................................... 582
References..................................................................................................................................... 583
18.1 Introduction
Milk is an essential food for infants and aged persons. It is a good source of protein, fat,
and major minerals. The cow is a highly efficient food processor and is one of the few spe-
cies that convert grass into healthy nutrition for humans: milk. The dairy farming has a
problem with greenhouse gases. On the one hand, milk production has an effect on the
environment, and on the other hand, the environment can have an impact on milk produc-
tion through environmental contaminants such as pesticides, dioxins, etc. that may lead
to residues in milk.
A dairy cow can be exposed to pesticides through the air it breathes, the water it drinks,
and the forage it consumes. Depending on the type and properties of the pesticide, the
residue is excreted through urine, adsorbed in the adipose tissue, or excreted into the milk.
Pesticides may be applied directly to livestock or to structures (e.g., barns and housing
units) or to control pests (e.g., parasites and vectors) using dipping vats, sprayers, and fog-
gers (Bertrand 2010). The potential pollutants from pesticides include the active and inert
ingredients, diluents, and persistent degradation products.
Pesticides and their degradation products may enter groundwater and surface water
in solution, in emulsion, or bound to soil particles. Pesticides may, in some instances,
impair the use of surface waters and groundwater. Some pesticides are suspected or
known to cause chronic or acute health hazards to humans as well as adverse ecological
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