Monitoring the levels of pesticides residues in unprocessed milk

Abstract

Pesticides occupy one of the most dangerous chemicals worldwide. Most pesticides which are highly resistance to microbial (organochlorines and organophosphorusare degradation). During their lipophilicity and persistence, these petiscides and its residues are concentrated in the adipose tissues and also in the serum of the animal blood; leading to bio-concentration, bio-magnification and environmental perisitence through the food chain. Upon reaching to human, it results in many symptoms and can lead to severe diseases. Furthermore, pesticides have the ability to cause three specific types of hurtful effects;acute, chronic or delayed, and allergic effects. Acute result in tingling sensations, lack of coordination and diffuculty of breathing, chronic result in impaired memory and concentration, disorientation and severe depression, and finally, allegeric results in systemic effects ,such as; asthma, skin irritation, such as; blisters, eye and nose irritation, such as; itchy, sneezing and water eye. On the other hand, milk represent one of the most signficatnt foods used in the worldwide. According to the food chain, various types of pesticides are exisiting in commercial milk. This projects aim is to determine the pestcides residues in unprocessed milk by using QuEChERS method on 30 samples colleced from diffrenet locations in Old cairo, Cairo, Egypt. The results shows that majority of samples are -ve to pesticides, however; the minoroty are +ve to pesticides. Therefore; it's recommended to use pasteurized milk (especially skimmed or 0% fats; because as illustrated before; pesticides are concentrated in milk fats) rather than unprocessed milk/ commercial milk. According to this study, the results confirm that many of pesticides ingredients are unstable as a result of milk processing during pasteurization process UHT (ultra- high temperature and pressure). Finally, this confirms the correct of this opinion