1968 EVALUATIONS OF SOME PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOOD
Issued jointly by FAO and WHO
The content of this document is the result of the deliberations of the
Joint Meeting of the FAO Working Party of Experts and the WHO Expert
Committee on Pesticide Residues, which met in Geneva, 9-16 December,
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
This pesticide has been previously evaluated (FAO/WHO, 1965, 1968);
however, no recommendations for acceptable daily intake or tolerances
were made. Since that time additional studies have raised further
problems which are outlined below.
RESIDUES IN FOOD AND THEIR EVALUATION
The meeting noted the importance of halogenated hydrocarbons and other
fumigants in developing countries, especially for use on farms.
Earlier meetings had recommended tolerances for inorganic bromide
resulting from the use of methyl bromide and ethylene dibromide but
had stressed the importance of avoiding or eliminating detectable
residues of unchanged fumigants such as ethylene dibromide (CH2Br
CH2Br), methyl bromide (CH3Br) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4).
This matter had been referred through FAO to the Pesticide Section of
the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) with a
view to obtaining more precise information on the residual levels of
unchanged fumigants. Experiments in which whole wheat grain was
fumigated with a mixture of carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride,
trichloroethylene (C2HCl3) and methyl bromide indicated that
detectable residues of carbon disulfide and carbon tetrachloride might
persist for months despite aeration, milling, baking, etc. (IUPAC,
Therefore, the meeting wished to draw the attention of Member
governments to the need for further work on the toxicity of these
unchanged fumigants and on their levels in food under various
practical conditions of use.
Further work or information
Required (before acceptable daily intakes, tolerances or negligible
residue levels can be established).
Information on the level of residues that may persist in the unchanged
form after processing treated food products.
FAO/WHO. (1965) Evaluation of the hazards to consumers resulting from
the use of fumigants in the protection of food. FAO Mtg. Rept. No.
PL/1965/10/2; WHO/Food Add./28.65
FAO/WHO. (1968) 1967 evaluations of some pesticide residues in food.
(FAO, PL:1967/M/11/1; WHO/Food Add./68.30)
IUPAC. (1968) IUPAC Information Bulletin 32:122-127