ABSTRACT
Keywords: Contamination; environment; pesticides; pollutants; organochlorine Introduction Organochlorine (OC) compounds are a wide group of chemicals, many of which persist in the environment. Most of these OCs are agricultural pesticides or industrial compounds that also double as environmental pollutants. In response to their adverse effects seen in wildlife and humans, the production and use of these compounds were banned in industrialised countries during the 1970s (Jaraczewska et al., 2006), or subjected to restrictions in use in many others. However, they continue to be detected in both biological and environmental samples worldwide because of their persistent and bioaccumulative properties. There is much evidence to show that OCs interact with the endocrine system, resulting in numerous biologic effects that may affect the health of humans and animals (Muñoz-de-Toro et al., 2006).
