Determination of organochlorine pesticide residues in rice and human and fish fat by simplified two-dimensional gas chromatography

The residue levels of four hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH and δ-HCH), 4 dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) congeners (p,p-DDE, o,p-DDT, p,p-DDD, and p,p-DDT), heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin and endrin in rice and its bran from Jiangsu Province, PR China, were investigated by simplified two-dimensional gas chromatography, coupled with micro-electronic capture detector (μECD). Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) for ∑HCH ranged from 0 to 0.039 mg kg−1 in the rice and 0 to 0.057 mg kg−1 in its bran. For ∑DDT, the concentrations ranged from 0 to 0.053 mg kg−1 in the rice and 0 to 0.051 mg kg−1 in its bran. The five other OCPs, except HCH and DDT, were not detected. The major HCH isomers and DDT, congeners detected, both in the rice and its bran, were β-HCH and p,p′-DDE. Compared with the residue levels in the rice, the OCPs levels in fish and human fat were detected at higher residue levels. It is necessary to investigate the OCP residues in foodstuffs of the food chain in order to evaluate the potential health risk to humans.