Residues of DDT and HCH in wheat samples collected from different states of India and their dietary exposure: A multicentre study

Abstract Under a multicentre study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research, 1712 samples of wheat grain/flour were collected from urban and rural areas in 11 states representing different geographical regions of India. These samples were analysed for residues of DDT (2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloro ethane) and different isomers of HCH (1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachloro cyclohexane, a mixture of isomers) by gas–liquid chromatography. Residues of DDT were detected in 59.4% of 1080 samples of wheat grain and in 78.2% of 632 samples of wheat flour. Different isomers of HCH were present in about 45–80% of the samples of wheat grain/flour. Medians of DDT and total HCH, respectively, for pooled samples of wheat grain were 0.013 and 0.035 mg kg−1, while those for wheat flour were 0.01 and 0.02 mg kg−1. Estimated daily intakes of DDT and different isomers of HCH through the consumption of wheat contaminated at their median and 90th percentiles constituted a small proportion of their acceptable daily inta...