Evaluation of a group of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides residue and Lead content of row and pasteurized cow milk collected from Isfahan city, Iran

Milk is one of the most important components of human food. The presence of micro-pollutants (pesticides and toxic metals) in the food chain is the result of environmental pollution and their concentrations need to be controlled constantly. The objective of this study was to detect the level of pesticides (organochlorine (OC) and organophosphorus (OP)) and lead residue in distributed milk in Isfahan city in Iran.A total of 30 cow milk (25 pasteurized milk samples from different factories and 5-row milk samples from traditional dairy shops) samples were collected at random and analyzed for 50 common OC and OP pesticide residues and lead. The pesticide residues and lead detected using "gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy" and "inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy", respectively. However, the levels of pesticide residues were below maximum residual limits (MRLs) levels set by the Codex in 2007. The mean level of lead content obtained from 30 samples was 6.7±3.7 µg/l, with a range from 4 to 22.1 µg/l. Lead residues exceeded the MRL (20 µg/l) in only 1 sample. Our data were within the normal ranges. The results of this study demonstrate the need to establish the most abundant heavy metals and pesticide residue monitoring programs for milk analysis for human consumption to improve food safety and decrease exposure risks to consumers in different regions of Iran.