PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN EGGS RESULTING FROM DUSTING AND SHORT-TIME FEEDING OF LOW LEVELS OF CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON INSECTICIDES TO HENS

“ Working levels,” used by the Florida Department of Agriculture prior to issuance of FDA action level guidelines, were used as criteria. For whole eggs these levels were 0.05 p.p.m. for DDT, BHC, lindane, and methoxychlor and 0.01 for aldrin, dieldrin, and chlordane. The dusting of laying hens with “ safe ” insecticides contaminated with as little as 200 p.p.m. of DDT caused residues in the egg to exceed the working level. Dusts with up to 300 p.p.m. of BHC did not exceed 0.05 p.p.m. in the eggs. A dust contaminated with 2000 p.p.m. of methoxychlor produced no detectable residues. Chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides were fed at low levels to laying hens for a one-week period. The insecticides, feeding levels, and maximum residue amounts in the whole eggs were: DDT 0.33 p.p.m. in feed, 0.062 p.p.m. in eggs; aldrin 0.114 p.p.m. in feed; dieldrin 0.011 p.p.m. in eggs; lindane 0.26 p.p.m. in feed, 0.033 p.p.m. in eggs; chlordane 0.08 p.p.m. in feed, no detectable residues in eggs. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.