PurposeThe purposes of this study were to analyze fruits, vegetables, water and soil for organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues and to assess the food exposure of these pesticides in Qatar.Design/methodology/approachPesticides were quantified in dates, leafy vegetables, fruiting vegetables, water and soil samples using a gas chromatography-electron capture detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These pesticides were α-benzene hexachloride (BHC), ß-BHC, heptachlor, aldrin, g-chlordane, endosulfan I, α-chlordane, dieldrin, endrin and methoxychlor. Additionally, food exposure risk assessment was performed by estimating daily intakes of OCP.FindingsMost analyzed samples contained at least one OCP residue. Endosulfan was the only pesticide that was not detected. The concentrations of OCP in samples were below the maximum residue level (MRL) except endosulfan. Among all the samples analyzed, ˜18% of those exceeded the MRL with respect to the concentrations of methoxychlor and heptachlor. Only intake of methoxychlor (0.018 mg/day) exceeded the MRL (0.01 mg/day). Dates and fruiting vegetables were likely to pose a higher risk than leafy vegetables because they contained heptachlor, endrin and methoxychlor. Leafy vegetables might pose a greater risk than dates and fruiting vegetables because of the presence of β-BHC and dieldrin.Originality/valueEight out of ten OCPs that were measured were found to be below the MRL. These pesticides should be eliminated from the food supply based on the Qatar National Implementation Plan of the Stockholm Convention in 2010. Based on the intake risk assessment, overall, the intake of OCP may not pose a major risk to human health as the concentrations of OCP were below MRL, except methoxychlor. Water and soil are the potential sources of contamination of OCP in foods that were tested in Qatar. To limit the health risks associated with OCPs, there is a need for close monitoring of food and agricultural practices and the types of pesticides imported into Qatar.

In this study, a total of 49 samples of fruits and vegetables (dates, leafy vegetables and fruiting vegetables) produced locally in the farms in Qatar and 42 samples of soil and water from these farms were analyzed using Gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC/ECD), and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to detect residual levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The levels of OCPs of all samples were below the MRLs. The correlation analysis results showed that water and soil could be a potential source of the contamination of aBHC, b-BHC, heptachlor, g-chlordane and endrin in the fruit and vegetable samples. In this study, a risk assessment analysis was also performed to estimate daily intake of OCPs by Qatari population. The risk assessment study revealed that the intake of the studied OCPs posed no risk to human health due to their levels of intake below MRLs.