Residues in meat following exposure to 32p-labelled dichlorvos vapour in an enclosed space

Abstract Concentrations of dichlorvos* in meat samples following exposure to the insecticide, maintained at a concentration of approximately 0.5 μg/litre of air for 30 minutes, were determined. It was shown that the insecticide does not penetrate deeply into the tissues and is readily decomposed in mince meat and steak. Frying and boiling steak containing dichlorvos completely destroyed the insecticide. The effect of dichlorvos on adult blowflies (Lucilia sericata) was also investigated, both during actual spraying and in the period following treatment. Two weeks after spraying, a complete kill of released flies was obtained after three-four hours exposure.