Monitoring of some organochlorine pesticide residues of butter in Konya, Turkey.

Some organochlorine pesticide residues were investigated in the samples of all local commercial butter brands sold in the supermarket in Konya (Turkey). Some of the samples were found to have the DDT complex (DDT, DDD, DDE and isomers), total HCH complex (alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH), aldrin, dieldrin and endosulfan (I and II). Nearly 94% of the butter samples were found to be contaminated. Endrin and heptachlorine were detected in three and two samples, respectively, while 87% of samples were contaminated by one or more HCH isomers. 78% of the organochlorine pesticide was DDT and/or its metabolites. These results confirmed that butters sold in Konya presented organochlorine pesticide residues indicating a human exposure.