Level of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in products of sugar beet refineries in Serbia

Abstract

The residues of 16 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 6 non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in 6 composite samples of sugar and dried sugar beet pulp pooled from a total number of 262 samples collected in Serbia during 2002 and 2004. Residues of these OCCs were extracted, cleaned up and determined by capillary gas-liquid chromatography using electron capture detector. The obtained degree of chlorinated contamination was quite low: the total concentration of OCPs in dried sugar beet pulp and sugar ranged from 0.28 to 0.75 ng g-1 whole weight (ww) and 0.15 to 0.50 ng g-1 ww, respectively, while total levels of PCBs were from 0.18 to 2.89 ng g -1 ww and 0.35 to 1.11 ng g-1 ww, respectively. Higher contents of residues were found in dried sugar beet pulp in comparison to sugar, pointing out most probably the favorable adsorption of these organic pollutants to fibrous substrate rather than crystalline one. © by PSP.