Insecticide Residues on 1972 U.S. Auction-Market Tobacco

Average residue Ievels of DDT + TDE in flue-cured tobacco decreased from 6.1 ppm in 1970 to 0.85 ppm in 1972. DDT + TDE residues in Burley also dropped sharply from previous levels. In 1972 one sample from Kentucky contained 8.17 ppm; all other Burley samples were less than 0.25 ppm. DDT + TDE residues also declined in fire-cured and air-cured types; of these samples Tennessee dark air-cured tobacco contained the highest average residue (3.5 ppm of DDT + TDE). In 1972 over 90 % of the flue-cured samples were positive for toxaphene. Since each of our samples was a composite of tobacco from 10 farmers, we cannot conclude from this result that 90 % of the individual piles contained toxaphene. Significant amounts of toxaphene were found in other types also; for example, 50 % of the 1972 Burley samples had toxaphene concentrations greater than 0.5 ppm. Average endosulfan levels decreased between 1970 and 1972 in flue-cured and Burley tobaccos. However, in all of the dark air and dark fire-cured samples from Tennessee endosulfan residues exceeded 5 ppm. Average endrin residues were at or near the low detection limit in alI samples except fire-cured and dark air-cured tobacco from Tennessee; these averaged 0.26 and 0.17 ppm, respectively.