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PESTICIDE RESIDUE IN BANGLADESH TEA Bangladesh Tea Research Institute at Srimangal has established a well-equipped sophisticated pesticide residue analytical laboratory at its own premise and is run by trained personnel since January 2003. All sorts of precision analyses of international standard of different groups of pesticides like Organochlorine, Organophosphate, Carbamate, synthetic Pyrethroid and some unclassified groups are done successfully. Standards of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) are strictly followed. The facilities are now open to the tea industry and they have already started deriving benefit out of it. So the producers and traders should start scrutinizing their teas on regular basis at field, factory and trade points without delay. They should contact BTRI and harness the full advantage of the available facilities. The laboratory has already been selected as one of the 10 laboratory by Intergovernmental Group (IGG) of FAO, Rome, Italy for ring tests to fix MRL in black tea globally. Pesticide Residue Pesticide residue in made tea means what is left over or remains of a pesticide in the made tea after the application of a pesticide to tea bushes in the field prior to plucking and subsequent manufacturing. As tea is a consumable commodity, the effect of residue of pesticides in made tea is harmful to human health. Tea produced in Bangladesh is exported to different countries of the world particularly West and East European as well as Middle Eastern countries. The consumers of these countries have become more conscious about the residue of the pesticides. In this perspective, EPA/Codex Commission/FAO/WHO, German Law etc. have given restrictions on producing and procuring tea having pesticide residue. Objectives 1. Development of protocols on pesticide formulation and residue analysis. 2. Testing the purity of marketed brands of pesticides. 3. To find out whether any residues remain in the crop at harvest and subsequent processing as finished consumable product causing any toxic hazard to the consumers home and abroad. 4. Comparison of observed residue level of a particular pesticide with FAO/WHO recommended Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) and disseminating this information to the policy planners, planters and tea management personnel. Capability BTRI Pesticide Residue Analytical Laboratory is equipped with Gas Chromatograph (Shimadzu GC-14B) with other necessary equipment. GC-14B Two Gas Chromatographs are equipped with following detectors: Electron Captured Detector (ECD) Flame Ionization Detector (FID) Flame Thermoionic Detector (FTD Services Testing the purity of commercial pesticides. Providing residue analytical report on exportable tea for exporter and local entrepreneurs. Future Plan Establishing the Pesticide Residue Analytical Laboratory as reference laboratory globally. Achievements Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) is introduced. Protocols for the residue analysis of Endosulfan, Cypermethrin, Fenvalerate, Propargite, Ethion, Malathion, Dimethoate, Bifenthrin and Sulphur are developed. Purity testing of commercial pesticide is available. Protocol for multi-residue analysis is developed. Basic requirements for producing residue free tea Vigilance of pest species Selection of pesticides Biological information of the pest Dilution of the pesticides Correct dose of pesticides Method of application Avoidance of repeated rounds of spraying Shelf life of pesticides Consider weather condition Consider spraying interval period How the tea industry will benefit The Residue Laboratory at BTRI is at the doorstep of the tea industry. They can easily take reliable as well as economic service within a short time which would involve more money, time and longer process to get samples tested from any other laboratory in the country or outside. At present the Institute can analyze about 200 tea samples per annum at different levels e.g. field application, made tea at factory, experimental samples, auction point, export point and random samples in the market point. The volume of analyses will be extended further. Thus the
