title: Effect of home food processing on chlordecone (organochlorine) content in vegetables.
abstract: Decades after their use and their ban, organochlorine pesticides still pollute soil, water and food and lead to human and ecosystem exposure. In the case of chlordecone, human exposure is mainly due to the consumption of polluted food. We studied the effect of preparation and cooking in five vegetable products, three root vegetables (yam, dasheen and sweet potato) and two cucurbits (cucumber and pumpkin), among the main contributors to exposure to chlordecone in food in the French West Indies. Boiling the vegetables in water had no effect on chlordecone content of the vegetables and consequently on consumer exposure. The peel was three to 40-fold more contaminated than the pulp except cucumber, where the difference was less contrasted. The edible part is thus significantly less contaminated and peeling is recommended after rinsing to reduce consumer exposure, particularly for food grown in home gardens with contaminated soils. The type of soil had no consistent effect on CLD distribution but plot did. Peel and pulp composition (lipids and fibers) appear to partially account for CLD distribution in the product.
authors.affiliation: Cirad/CAEC, UPR fonctionnement agroécologique et performances des systèmes de culture horticoles, B.P. 214 Petit Morne, Martinique, F-97232 Le Lamentin, France. Electronic address: florence.clostre@cirad.fr.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Clostre
authors.affiliation: Cirad, UPR Agroécologie et intensification durable des cultures annuelles, Boulevard de la Lironde, F-34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Letourmy
authors.affiliation: Cirad, UPR Recyclage et risque, 40, Chemin de Grand Canal, CS 12014, F-97743 Saint Denis Cedex 9, Reunion, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thuriès
authors.affiliation: Cirad/CAEC, UPR fonctionnement agroécologique et performances des systèmes de culture horticoles, B.P. 214 Petit Morne, Martinique, F-97232 Le Lamentin, France; Cirad, UR HortSys, TA B-103/PS4, Boulevard de la Lironde, F-34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Magalie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lesueur-Jannoyer
mesh_terms: D007631:Chlordecone / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*; D014900:West Indies
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007631:Chlordecone
keywords: Chlordecone; Cooking in water; Cucurbits; Organochlorine pesticides; Peeling; Root vegetables