Impact assessment of household preparations in reducing dietary intake of chlorpyrifos residues through cabbage heads (Brassica Oleracea var. Capitata)

Chlorpyrifos (Dursban 20 EC) was applied @ 300 g a.i. ha-1 in Cabbage heads and the samples harvested at intervals of 0, 1 and 5 days after application. The calculated half-life value and safe waiting period (6.8 and 35.2 days respectively), indicated its longer persistence. Thus, to reduce the safe waiting period, efforts were made to decontaminate the chlorpyrifos residue from Cabbage curd by various household preparations (viz. washing, cooking, washing plus cooking, salt water dipping, dipping in boiled salt water, dipping in detergent solution and dipping in boiled detergent solution). Statistical analysis of the data using Duncan's Multiple Range Test revealed that various household processing substantially reduced the residue of chlorpyrifos in Cabbage heads in the range of 27.9-73.3 % but none were able to satisfactorily bring down the residue below the tolerance level of 0.05 mg/kg. A minimum of about twelve days was suggested as safe waiting period.