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Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at National Level

Background:

It is an undisputed fact that the area of the agriculture land on the planet will decrease

and the demand for food and fibre for the ever-increasing population will keep on

increasing. Protection of crop losses is as important as producing food and fibre, and

crop protection chemicals have proved their worth in minimizing crop losses during

green revolution and are continuing to do so. Lately, pesticide residues in food

commodities and their entry into the food-chain has become a major cause of concern

all-over the world. Food safety has become crucial for all involved in the value chain

and consumers have to be assured that they are not exposed to an unacceptable level

of pesticide residues. After the establishment of the world trade order (WTO) and other

GATT, SPS and IPR challenges in this millennium, presence of the residues above

the permissible level is also a major bottleneck in the international trade of food

commodities.

In India, the food safety is based on the guiding principle of risk analysis of the Codex

Alimentarius Commission (CAC). In order to exploit full potential of pesticides in

agriculture and public health programmes without adversely affecting the environment,

it is essential to study the facts about pesticide behavior and their persistence /

dissipation under tropical Indian conditions. There is also a need to know the status of

pesticide residues to ensure the safety to the consumer and to overcome the trade

barriers at international level.

The Government of India regulates the pesticide residues detected in various food

items through Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (now through Food Safety and

Standards Act, 2005). Various organizations in India such as institutions under the

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR); State Agricultural Universities; Central

Insecticides Laboratory (CIL); Indian Institute of Grain Storage; institutions under

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); Council of Scientific and Industrial

Research (CSIR) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and other research

groups have been engaged in monitoring of pesticide residues in food commodities

and environmental samples in their individual capacity primarily for academic

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purposes. Such studies were often overlapping and differed from one another in their

results. Due to increasing public awareness and legalities involved in pesticide

residues in food commodities, there was a need to harmonize the monitoring of

pesticide residues in the country.

DAC&FW sponsored central sector scheme, “Monitoring of Pesticide Residues

at National Level” (MPRNL):

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture

& Farmers Welfare had started a central sector scheme, “Monitoring of Pesticide

Residues at National Level” (MPRNL) in food commodities and environmental

samples during 2005-06 with the participation of various laboratories representing

Ministry of Agriculture, Indian Council of Agriculture Research, Ministry of Health and

Family Welfare, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Council of Scientific and Industrial

Research, Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizer, Ministry of Commerce and State

Agricultural Universities across the country. The scheme was launched by Shri Ashish

Bahuguna, IAS, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmer’s

Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India during 14th

annual workshop of ICAR- All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues organized

at Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal

Pradesh from 14-15 June, 2005.

Objectives:

To identify crops and regions having preponderance of pesticide residues in

order to focus extension efforts for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Good

Agriculture Practices (GAP)

To strengthen infrastructure at Quarantine stations to prevent entry of food and

food commodities which have pesticide residues above maximum residue limit

(MRL)

Testing / Certification of pesticide residue in export / import consignments

To test pesticide residues and other contaminants in food commodities and

environmental samples like soil and water.

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Participating laboratories:

The Project Coordinating Cell, AINP on Pesticide Residues, IARI, New Delhi of ICAR

is the nodal Centre. These participating centres have been accredited by National

Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration of Laboratories (NABL) in the field of

chemical testing as per ISO/IEC 17025:2005 to ensure the generation of authentic

data. The participating laboratories of the scheme are listed below:

1. Project Coordinating Cell, All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues, LBS

Building, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi (Delhi)

2. Department of Entomology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab)

3. ICAR Unit No. 9, BTRS Building, Anand Agricultural University, Anand (Gujarat)

4. Department of Entomology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri

(Maharashtra)

5. Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University,

Vellayani (Kerala)

6. Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Indian Institute of

Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore (Karnataka)

7. Department of Entomology, Rajasthan Agricultural University, Research Station,

Durgapura, Jaipur (Rajasthan)

8. Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, E.E.I. Premises,

Rajendranagar, Hyderabad (Telangana)

9. Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)

10. Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology, Sector–20, Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon

(Haryana)

11. National Institute of Occupational Health, P. B. No. 2031, Meghani Nagar,

Ahmedabad (Gujarat)

12. Western Region Referral Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Public Health,

Bombay Veterinary College, Parel, Mumbai (Maharashtra)

13. The Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA), MPEDA House,

Panampilly Avenue, Kochi (Kerala)

14. Pesticide Toxicology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Toxicological Research,

Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

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15. Trace Organic Laboratory, Central Pollution Control Board, Parivesh Bhawan,

East Arjun Nagar (Delhi)

16. National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur

(Maharashtra)

17. Regional Plant Quarantine Station, Haji Bunder Road, Sewri, Mumbai

(Maharashtra)

18. Regional Plant Quarantine Station, G.S.T. Road, Meenambakkam, Chennai

(Tamil Nadu)

19. AINP on Pesticide Residues, Directorate of Research, Research Complex

Building, Kalyani, Nadia (West Bengal)

20. Department of Entomology, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and

Forestry, Nauni, Solan (Himachal Pradesh)

21. National Plant Quarantine Station, New Delhi (Delhi)

22. National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM), Pesticide Management

Division, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad (Telangana)

23. Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar)

24. Export Inspection Agency, Kolkata (West Bengal)

25. Export Inspection Agency, Mumbai (Maharashtra)

26. Export Inspection Agency, Chennai (Tamil Nadu)

27. Export Inspection Agency, Kochi (Kerala)

28. National Dairy Development Board, CALF, Anand (Gujarat)

29. National Horticultural Research & Development Foundation (NHRDF), Nasik

(Maharashtra)

30. Punjab Biotechnology Incubator (PBTI), Agri- and Food Testing Laboratory

(PBTI), Mohali, Chandigarh, (Punjab)

31. Pesticide Residue and Food Quality Analysis Laboratory, University of

Agricultural Sciences, Raichur (Karnataka)

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Sample collection:

The 31 participating laboratories collect food commodities such as vegetables, fruits,

cereals, pulses, spices, curry leaves, red chilli powder, milk, egg, fish/marine, meat,

tea, etc. from various markets under the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee

(APMC), local markets, farm gate, organic outlets and Public Distribution Systems

(PDS) and irrigated water from intensive agricultural fields from different parts of the

country and analyze for the presence or absence of pesticide residues.

Sample analysis:

A developed, validated and uniform methodology is followed by all the participating

laboratories for sampling, analysis of pesticide residues and reporting of the results.

The results are being confirmed with the help of gas chromatography-mass

spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

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Monitoring results:

During 2008 to 2018, a total of 1,81,656 samples of the various food commodities such

as vegetables, fruits, rice, wheat, pulses, spices, red chilli powder, curry leaves, milk,

butter, fish and other marine products, meat, egg, tea, honey etc. and environmental

samples like soil and water were collected from various parts of the country and

analyzed during 2008- 2018 for the presence of pesticide residues, out of which 3,844

(2.1%) samples were found above MRL as prescribed under Food Safety Standard

Authority of India (FSSAI), Ministry of Health and Family welfare.

Table. Monitoring data on pesticide residues in food commodities and

environmental samples collected during 2008-2018

Period Number of Samples

analyzed

Number of Samples

above FSSAI MRL

2008-09 13,348 212 (1.6 %)

2009-10 14,225 155 (1.1 %)

2010-11 15,321 188 (1.2 %)

2011-12 16,948 303 (1.8 %)

2012-13 16,494 436 (2.6 %)

2013-14 16,660 509 (3.1 %)

2014-15 20,618 522 (2.5 %)

2015-16 22,103 523 (2.4%)

2016-17 22,271 473 (2.1%)

2017-18 23,668 523 (2.2%)

Total 1,81,656 3,844 (2.1%)

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Year-wise comparison of total number of sample analysed and samples above

FSSAI MRL during 2012-18

Utilisation of monitoring data:

The data generated by the scheme help in focusing governmental interventions such

as integrated pest management (IPM) and other suitable measures in regions of high

prevalence of pesticide residues. This programme helps the authorities at various

levels to sensitize the stake holders on pesticide use / safe use, pesticide residue and

food safety, and regulatory issues related to pesticide residues. The data includes the

status of pesticide load in various food commodities, usage of recommended/ non-

recommended pesticides by the farmers and sharing of monitoring data with state

agricultural department for necessary corrective action.

Monitoring data submission to Codex for risk assessment and MRL fixation

The monitoring data of seed spices and fruit and berry spices was submitted to FAO-

WHO Joint Meeting of Pesticide Residues (JMPR) for risk assessment and fixation of

MRL. Based on the data submitted, the MRL of dithiocarbamates in cumin (10 ppm),

phorate in coriander seed (0.1 ppm) and fennel seed (0.1 ppm); cypermethrin in

cardamom (3 ppm); triazophos in cardamom (4 ppm), coriander seed (0.1 ppm) and

fennel seed (0.1 ppm); cyhalothrin in cardamom (2 ppm); profenofos in cardamom (3

ppm), coriander seed (0.1 ppm), fennel seed (0.1 ppm) and cumin seed (5 ppm);

16494 1666020618 22103 22270 23668

403 (2.4 %) 403 (2.7 %)

543 (2.6 %)522 (2.4 %) 473 (2.1 %) 523 (2.2%)

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

Samples analysed Samples above MRL

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acetamiprid in pepper (0.1 ppm) and imidacloprid in tea (50 ppm) have been fixed by

Codex.

Annual workshop of the scheme:

The annual workshop of the MPRNL scheme is held under the chairmanship of Joint

Secretary (PP), DAC Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi in which the progress and issues of

the MPRNL participating centres is reviewed and discussed and the technical

programme is finalized. So far, 12 annual workshop of the scheme have been

successfully conducted.

Annual

Workshop

Venue Date

First Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani July 8, 2006

Second Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana December 16, 2007

Third Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani November 28, 2008

Fourth Anand Agricultural University, Anand February 19-20, 2010

Fifth Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani April 30, 2011

Sixth Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University,

Hyderabad

May 12, 2012

Seventh Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore June 20, 2013

Eighth Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Kalyani May 22, 2014

Ninth Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani May 28, 2015

Tenth Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana May 25, 2016

Eleventh Anand Agricultural University, Anand September 22, 2017

Twelfth National Institute of Plant Health Management,

Hyderabad

July 12, 2018

Shri. U. K. Singh, JS (PP), DAC&FW addressing the delegates during the 9th annual workshop of MPRNL

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Mrs. Jayalakshmi, DG, NIPHM inaugurating the 12th annual workshop

NABL accreditation of participating laboratories as per ISO/IEC 17025:

All the 31 participating laboratories under the monitoring scheme are accredited by

National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration of Laboratories (NABL) in the

field of pesticide residue analysis as per ISO/IEC 17025 to achieve excellence in

precision and authenticity of database.

The laboratories are regularly participating in the Inter laboratory comparison (ILC)

and Proficiency testing (PT) programmes at national and international level to ensure

that quality data is generated by the laboratory. The performance of the laboratory is

reviewed based on the Z-score obtained by the laboratory in PT/ ILC programmes.

Human resource development/ Capacity building in the field of pesticide residue

analysis:

The Project Coordinating Cell, IARI, New Delhi regularly conducts “Refresher Group

Training Programme on Pesticide Residue Analysis” to upgrade the knowledge and

skills of the research personnel and scientist under the scheme on the latest

development in the methodologies and analytical techniques. . During 2007-17, a total

of 23 Refresher Group training programmes on “Pesticide Residue Analysis” have

been conducted.

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Hands-on refresher training program

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Distribution of certificates by Dr. B. Rajender, JS (PP), DAC&FW to the trainees

Infrastructure development:

The laboratories under the scheme have been strengthened by providing analytical

instrument (GC, HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS/MS), sample preparation equipment,

recurring contingency (chemicals, glassware, etc.), contractual manpower, etc. for

smooth functioning of the scheme.

Gas chromatograph- Mass spectroscopy (GC-MS)

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Liquid chromatograph- Mass spectroscopy (LC-MS)

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