DETECTION OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES AND HEAVY METALS IN WHEAT SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM LOCAL MARKETS IN DIFFERENT EGYPTIAN GOVERNORATES

One hundred and fifty five wheat samples were collected from different local markets located in ten governorates in Egypt. All samples were subjected to multiresidue analysis to investigate the residues of organochlorine, organophosphorous, organonitrogen and some pyrethroids. However, only eighty three samples were subjected to heavy metals analysis to investigate lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) levels. In multiresidue analysis, results showed that 60.6 % of all samples analyzed had no detectable pesticide residues, while 39.4% of samples were contaminated with one or more than pesticide residue of malathion, chlorpyrifos-me, pirimiphos-methyl, fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos and diniconazole. Also, malathion recorded the highest contamination and violation percentages, where 37.4% of the total number of samples analyzed were contaminated and only 2.6% of samples exceeded the malathion Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) established by Codex Alimentarius Commission on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) (0.5 mg/kg). In heavy metals analysis, the results revealed that all analyzed samples were contaminated with at least one of the three investigated elements (Cd, Pb, and Cu), where the contamination percentage was 100%, of which 18.1% exceeded the Maximum Limits (ML s) of the detected elements. Copper was the most frequently detected element, followed by cadmium, and the lowest was lead.