RESIDUES IN MILK AND ORGANS IN A DAIRY HERD FOLLOWING ACUTE ENDOSULFAN INTOXICATION

Abstract

Milk and organs were monitored for endosulfan residues in a dairy herd which had been acutely intoxicated by accidental exposure to endosulfan insecticide. Total endosulfan residue levels in postmortem samples from a carcass were 1,270 ppm in the rumen content and 4.2, 1.1, and 0.6 ppm in liver, kidney, and muscle tissue, respectively. Analysis of milk from cows which survived the poisoning revealed a level of greater than 1 ppm endosulfan immediately following the intoxication. This level decreased to 1 ppb at the end of 35 days and a half-life of approximately 3.9 days was calculated for endosulfan in milk.