Levels, Sources and Risk Characterization of Organochlorine Pesticides in Beer Samples from Romania

The present study describes the analysis of nine organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) occurrence in twenty beer samples commercially marketed and widely consumed in Romania. Levels of these compounds were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). The results indicated that 20% of the examined samples were contaminated with one OCP residues, while 45% of samples have presented multiple pesticides. Among individual compounds, γ-HCH (Lindane) and p,p, DDE were the main contributors to the total OCP residues, suggesting a long-time persistence of these pesticides in soil, recent usage or uncontrolled penetration from some sources. The contamination frequency with the different OCPs of analysed samples was in the following order: DDTs]Driens]Heptachlor]Lindane]HCB. The average lifetime of a daily dose (LADD) for the total compounds under study, were below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for individual compounds, ranging between 1.41E-07 and 3.13E-06 mg kg bw-1d-1. Also, hazard quotient were presented with very low values (HQ[1), suggesting that, in the analysed samples, the OCP residues represent no threat to human health.