ABSTRACT
Endosulfan residues detected in paddy soil and rice exceed Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). Endosulfan is bioaccumulative, persistent and semi-volatile. This study aimed to investigate the potential environmental risk of endosulfan in an agricultural environment. This research was conducted in the central paddy area of Jombang District between June and December 2015 by implementing a survey method. Farmers’ agricultural behaviours, endosulfan residues in paddy fields, and endosulfan exposure in farmers’ blood were all explored to establish their relationships. It was found that older farmers that used organochlorine pesticides at the time of the Green Revolution used it as recently as 2002. Younger farmers do not use it. There are several study outcomes: (1) endosulfan residues above the MRL for soil were found in 18.12% of the area, and 13.2% of the 68 samples of rice exceeded the endosulfan MRL, although only 1.4% of 71 water samples contained endosulfan at levels above acceptable ambient water quality; (2) endosulfan residues detected in farmers’ blood showed that 66.7% of the 30 participating farmers had exposure above the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for α-endosulfan, with the remaining 33.3% also having exposure but below this ADI; (3) endosulfan presents potential risk to the environment with a Risk Quotient (RQ) above one. These results illustrate the very significant impact of endosulfan usage during the era of the Green Revolution.
