How the variability issue was uncovered: the history of the UK residue variability findings

As a result of routine monitoring data on carrots generated in the 1990s indicating MRL exceedances, further studies showed that residues of organophosphorus compounds in individual roots could vary up to 25 times the levels found in composite samples. Additional work found that this phenomenon also...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Food additives and contaminants 2000-07, Vol.17 (7), p.491-495
Main Author: Harris, Caroline A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Food industries
Food Inspection - history
Fruit and vegetable industries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
History, 20th Century
Humans
Insecticides - analysis
Insecticides - history
Insecticides - poisoning
Medical sciences
Organophosphate Poisoning
Organothiophosphates - analysis
Organothiophosphates - history
Pesticide Residue Organophosphorus Variability Individual Units Short Term Exposure
Pesticide Residues - analysis
Pesticide Residues - history
Pesticide Residues - poisoning
Pesticides, fertilizers and other agrochemicals toxicology
Risk Assessment - history
Toxicology
Triazoles - analysis
Triazoles - history
Triazoles - poisoning
United Kingdom
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Summary:As a result of routine monitoring data on carrots generated in the 1990s indicating MRL exceedances, further studies showed that residues of organophosphorus compounds in individual roots could vary up to 25 times the levels found in composite samples. Additional work found that this phenomenon also extended to other crops including apples, peaches and celery. Variability (defined as the highest residue level found in any one crop item divided by the level found in a composite sample from the same batch) of up to 34 times mean values was found in one batch of plums. Conventional deterministic methods used in consumer assessments were likely to give gross overestimates of short-term exposure because of the assumptions employed. This led to the development of probabilistic models which made the best use of all available information and was capable of indicating percentages of consumers that could exceed relevant toxicological end points. This indicated that there was unlikely to be serious health effects as a result of ingesting these residues and has subsequently proved to be a useful aid to regulatory decision making.
ISSN:0265-203X
1464-5122
DOI:10.1080/026520300412375