PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOOD - 1984
Sponsored jointly by FAO and WHO
EVALUATIONS 1984
The monographs
Data and recommendations of the joint meeting
of the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Residues
in Food and the Environment and the
WHO Expert Group on Pesticide Residues
Rome, 24 September - 3 October 1984
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome 1985
CHLORDANE
Explanation
Chlordane was evaluated by the Joint Meeting in 1965, 1967, 1969,
1970, 1972, 1974, 1977 and 1982. 1/ Governments were requested to
provide information on uses, maximum residue limits and data from
monitoring of chlordane residues in food to enable the meeting to re-
evaluate the compound. At the 14th Session of the CCPR, a proposal was
made to change MRLs to ERLs, and doubt was expressed whether the
proposed residue limits correspond to the existing situation in regard
to use pattern and the presence of residues in food from environmental
contamination.
RESIDUES IN FOOD AND THEIR EVALUATION
USE PATTERN
The meeting received information on current approved uses of
chlordane in Canada (1984) and Mexico (1984) [Table 1]. Information
was also received that all agricultural uses have been discontinued in
the Netherlands (1984) since 1974 and in the United States (1984)
since 1980, and that the compound has been banned in food crops in all
countries in the European Economic Communities since 1981. The only
registered use in the United Kingdom (1984) is in ornamental and
amenity turf.
RESIDUES IN FOOD IN COMMERCE OR AT CONSUMPTION
Monitoring data were provided by the United States from the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) Domestic Surveillance Program (Table 2).
Monitoring data were also provided from the United States (1984)
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture monitoring of animal products
(Tables 3 and 4).
1/ See Annex 2 for FAO and WHO documentation.
TABLE 1. Registered and Approved Uses for Chlordane
Country Commodity Approved Applications Limitations
Application
Rate
(kg a.i./ha)
Canada 2 Strawberry 5.5-11 Soil treatment, No root crops in
broadcast before treated soil for
planting 4 years after
treatment
1.1-2.25 Soil treatment,
band, at planting
Bean, beet, 5.5-11 Soil treatment, Only applied once
broccoli, broadcast, before for every 4 years
Brussels sprouts, planting or more. Treated
cabbage, crop should not be
cauliflower, used as feed for
cucumber, kale, livestock
lettuce, melons,
onion, potato, 1.1-2.25 Soil treatment,
radish & tomato band, at planting
Mexico Sorghum & maize 1.5-2.0 Soil treatment,
band, at sowing
1 See Annex 2 for FAO and WHO documentation.
2 Chlordane is also used in ornamentals and turf.
TABLE 2. Chlordane Residues, United States 1
Commodity Group No. of samples No. with residues Range of
(Codex Class. No. of chlordane (cis, residues
trans, oxychlordane
and nonachlor) (mg/kg)
Grains 1 207 2 0.03-0.09
(A03.15)
Milk and milk 2 534 56 <0.01-0.07
products
(BO7.28-29)
Eggs 1 773 34 <0.01-2.1 2
(BO8.33)
Fruit and fruit products 4 777 3 0.01-0.13
(AO2.9-14)
Vegetables and 11 779 119 <0.01-0.60
vegetable products
(a01.1-8)
1 Data gathered from 1 October 1979 to 30 September 1983.
2 Data included from an incident of chlordane misuse in and around poultry houses.
1981-83 surveillance programme showed seven positive out of 1 219 samples
(range <0.01-0.02 mg/kg).
TABLE 3. Chlordane Residues in the Carcase of Horses, Bulls/Cows, Heifers/Steers, Calves, Sheep,
Goats, Pigs and Rabbits
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
No. of samples 3 638 4 537 2 763 2 656 4 725
No. of residues 31 46 70 54 137
> 0.02 mg/kg of
chlordane (cis, trans,
oxychlordane and
nonachlor)
No. of residues 15 24 30 28 37
exceeding Codex ERL:
0.05 mg/kg
Range of residues 0.02-0.24 0.02-0.77 0.02-0.23 0.02-0.60 0.02-1.04
(mg/kg) (3.16) (6.24) (6.57) (2.43-2.95)
TABLE 4. Chlordane Residues in the Carcase Fat of Poultry (Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese)
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
No. of samples 1 066 1 984 1 674 1 386 1 744
No. of samples with 2 2 5 7 12
residues > 0.02 mg/kg
chlordane (cis, trans,
oxychlordane, nonachlor)
No. of residues 0 2 3 2 5
exceeding Codex ERL:
0.05 mg/kg
Range of residues 0.02-0.03 0.02-0.46 0.02-0.10 0.02-0.11 0.02-0.13
(0.85) (0.50)
NATIONAL MAXIMUM RESIDUE LIMITS REPORTED TO THE MEETING
Updated lists of MRLs were provided to the Meeting by Canada
(1984) and The Netherlands (1984).
Country Commodity MRL (mg/kg)
Canada Butter, cheese, milk 0.1
and other dairy products
(on fat basis)
Meat, meat by-products of 0.1
cattle, goat, hog, sheep and
poultry (on fat basis)
Holland Pineapple 0.1
Other fruit 0.02
Cucumber and melon 0.1
Other vegetables 0.02
Pulses 0.02
Cereals 0.05
Potato 0.05
Vegetable oil 0.02
All other plant products 0 (0.02)
Milk 0.002
All other animal products 0.05
(on fat basis)
The United States (1984) informed the meeting that although
chlordane is no longer registered for uses on food crops, maximum
residue limits from approved uses in the past remain in effect. This
country intends to substitute existing residue limits with action
levels (the equivalent of Codex ERLs) for food containing residues
from environmental contamination.
APPRAISAL
Governments were requested to provide the JMPR with information
on uses, national MRLs and monitoring data for chlordane in food in
order to enable the meeting to re-evaluate the compound. Doubt has
been expressed whether proposed Codex residue limits correspond to
current use patterns and to the presence of residues in food from
environmental contamination.
The meeting was informed that agricultural uses of chlordane have
been discontinued in a number of countries but remain for food crops
in Canada (vegetables, including potato and strawberry) and Mexico
(sorghum and maize).
Extensive monitoring data were provided by the United States from
the FDA Surveillance Program 1979-83. This programme includes analysis
of cereals, vegetables, milk, milk products and eggs. About 0.1-0.2
percent of the grain and fruit samples and about 1 percent of the
vegetable samples analysed contained chlordane residues. Chlordane was
detected in about 2 percent of the samples of milk, milk products and
eggs. The limit of detection in this programme was 0.01 mg/kg.
Data were also received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
monitoring programme on the analysis for chlordane in fat from animals
and poultry. Chlordane residues were detected in 1-3 percent (average
1.8 percent) of the samples of carcase fat from animals with a limit
of detection of 0.02 mg/kg. In 0.5-1 percent (average 0.7 percent) of
the samples the residues exceeded the Codex ERL of 0.05 mg/kg.
Chlordane residues were detected in 0.1-0.7 percent (average
0.36 percent) of the samples analysed of carcase fat from poultry. In
0-0.3 percent (average 0.15 percent), residues exceeded the Codex ERL
of 0.05 mg/kg.
During 1979-83, no decrease in the frequency of detection or the
levels of chlordane residues was observed. The frequency of detection
appeared to increase during the period, but as most figures are at or
about the limit of determination this increase is hardly significant.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Chlordane is still in use in some countries for the treatment of
vegetables and cereals, and monitoring data have proved that residues
are present, although in a limited number of samples, especially of
vegetables and animal products. The meeting recommends maintaining the
existing residue limits in vegetables and animal products.
Chlordane is rarely found in cereals and fruit, and residues are
very low. The meeting recommends, for this reason, that residue limits
for chlordane in fruit and cereals grains (except sorghum and maize)
be lowered from 0.05 mg/kg to 0.02 mg/kg.
Commodity ERL (mg/kg)
Almonds 0.02
Bananas 0.02
Figs 0.02
Guavas 0.02
Mangoes 0.02
Papayas 0.02
Passion fruit 0.02
Pecans 0.02
Pineapples 0.02
Pomegranates 0.02
Rice (polished) 0.02
Rye 0.02
Strawberries 0.02
Walnuts 0.02
Wheat 0.02
REFERENCES
Canada. Information on chlordane submitted by Canada to FAO.
1984
Mexico. Information on chlordane submitted by Mexico to FAO.
1984
Netherlands. Information on chlordane submitted by the Netherlands to
1984 FAO.
United Kingdom. Information on chlordane submitted by the United
1984 Kingdom to FAO.
United States. Information on chlordane submitted by the U.S. Food and
1984 Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
to FAO.
See Also:
Toxicological Abbreviations
Chlordane (EHC 34, 1984)
Chlordane (HSG 13, 1988)
Chlordane (PIM 574)
Chlordane (FAO Meeting Report PL/1965/10/1)
Chlordane (FAO/PL:1967/M/11/1)
Chlordane (FAO/PL:1969/M/17/1)
Chlordane (AGP:1970/M/12/1)
Chlordane (WHO Pesticide Residues Series 2)
Chlordane (WHO Pesticide Residues Series 4)
Chlordane (Pesticide residues in food: 1977 evaluations)
Chlordane (Pesticide residues in food: 1982 evaluations)
Chlordane (Pesticide residues in food: 1986 evaluations Part II Toxicology)