Recent Studies on Pesticide Residues and Heavy Metals inSouth Indian Teas

摘要

Tea is cultivated in an area of 121,000 ha in southern India. India's contribution to global tea production is 219.1 M.Kgs and stands fourth in the global tea export. In the domestic tea production, south India contributes with a quantum of 241.8 M.Kgs to the total production and more than 50 per cent is exported. Pests, diseases and weeds are the important factors limiting the productivity and quality of tea. The choice of pesticides has been limited in view of recent concern for residues, especially in the export market and the consequent stringent maximum residue limits set by importing countries.A limited number of insecticides, miticides, fungicides and weedicides are applied in tea fields, depending on the incidence of pests, diseases or weeds. Application of these pesticides leave traces of these compounds on tea leaves and these remain in the made tea also. These are called pesticide residues. The great majority of pesticides used today were registered long back. As on today 248 pesticides are registered with the Central Insecticide Board of the Government of India. Most of these pesticidemolecules have been developed in Western countries. Registration implies the acceptance by a competent authority of the extensive documented proof submitted in support of all claims of safety and efficacy. These include data on acute and chronic toxicityto mammals, birds, fishes and non target organisms, persistence in the soil and water, carcinogenicity, mutagen city, etc. Even though data on all these aspects have been generated in any country, these will have to be generated again under Indian conditions, if the pesticide is to be registered with the CIB in India.