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    ENDOSULFAN       JMPR 1975

    Explanation

         Endosulfan was previously evaluated by the Joint Meetings of
    1967, 1968, 1971 and 1974 (FAO/WHO, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975). A
    tolerance of 2 mg/kg in fruit was confirmed in 1971. The Codex
    Committee on Pesticide Residues at its 6th Session in 1973 requested
    that the recommended tolerance of 2 mg/kg on the broad commodity group
    fruits be reconsidered with a view to establishing specific tolerances
    based on data from member governments (Alinorm 74/24). The 1974 Joint
    Meeting on the basis of the data made available, was unable to
    recommend individual tolerances on fruits at levels below the existing
    recommendation of 2 mg/kg. The 1975 CCPR Meeting reiterated its
    request to governments to provide residue data on residues in fruits
    and requested the Joint Meeting to recommend tolerances for sorghum,
    millet and peanuts (Alinorm 76/24). Some data on endosulfan residues
    in strawberries in Belgium were provided to the meeting.

    RESIDUES IN FOOD AND THEIR EVALUATION

    RESIDUES IN FOOD IN COMMERCE OR AT CONSUMPTION

         In 1972 and 1974 a total of 181 strawberry samples were analyzed
    for endosulfan (Dejonckheere et al, 1975). The berries and sepals were
    analyzed together in 1972 while only the berries were analyzed in
    1974. The data are summarized in Table 1.

        TABLE 1. Endosulfan residues in strawberries

                                                                                       

                                       Number of Samples
                                                                                       
                                                       Residues (range, mg/kg)
                                                                                       
    Year    Total No.   No. Positive   0.01-0.1   >    0.1-0.2   >    0.2-0.3   >    0.3
                                                                                       

    1972      107            18            8              7              2           1

    1974      74             19            17             ±1             1           -
                                                                                       
    

         The data show that 1 sample contained endosulfan residues in
    excess of 0.3 mg/kg, in this case 0.85 mg/kg. Information was not
    available to the Meeting on the composition of the endosulfan residues
    reported, i.e. total residues of endosulfan A, endosulfan B, and
    endosulfan sulfate or residues of endosulfan A and endosulfan B.

         No further information on endosulfan residues in fruits or other
    commodities was available to the Meeting.

    APPRAISAL

         The CCPR referred to the Joint Meeting a request that the
    recommended 2 mg/kg tolerance (FAO/WHO, 1975) for endosulfan residues
    in fruits be re-examined to determine whether tolerances on specific
    crops could be recommended and to recommend tolerances for sorghum,
    millet and peanuts. One country responded to the request for data with
    data on  residues in strawberries. The composition of the endosulfan
    residues in strawberries was not provided.

         The present recommended tolerance (FAO/WHO, 1975) is expressed as
    total residues of endosulfan A, endosulfan B, and endosulfan sulfate.
    The Joint Meeting was not able to conclude that the data made
    available would support an individual tolerance for strawberries. A
    recommendation for tolerances for endosulfan residues in sorghum,
    millet and peanuts could not be made since residue data on which to
    base recommendations was not available to the Meeting.

    RECOMMENDATIONS

         The tolerances recommended at the 1974 Joint Meeting (FAO/WHO,
    1975) are continued, as maximum residue limits.

    FURTHER WORK OR INFORMATION

    DESIRABLE

         The request for further work (FAO/WHO, 1975) is reaffirmed.

    REFERENCES

    Dejonckheere, W., Steurhaut, W., and Kips, R.H. (1975) Pesticide
    residues in strawberries. Rijksuniversiteit Gent, Gent, Belgium
    (unpublished)
    


    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations
       Endosulfan (EHC 40, 1984)
       Endosulfan (HSG 17, 1988)
       Endosulfan (PIM 576)
       Endosulfan (FAO Meeting Report PL/1965/10/1)
       Endosulfan (FAO/PL:1967/M/11/1)
       Endosulfan (FAO/PL:1968/M/9/1)
       Endosulfan (WHO Pesticide Residues Series 1)
       Endosulfan (WHO Pesticide Residues Series 4)
       Endosulfan (Pesticide residues in food: 1982 evaluations)
       Endosulfan (Pesticide residues in food: 1989 evaluations Part II Toxicology)
       Endosulfan (JMPR Evaluations 1998 Part II Toxicological)