Determination of ddt and its metabolite in marula products in eswatini using a molecular imprinted polymer

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is an effective organochlorine pesticide which is used in Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in Eswatini yet it is toxic, susceptible to long range environmental transport and bio-accumulate in fatty tissues. The main objective was to quantify the amount of DDT and its metabolites (DDE and DDD) in Marula brew and kernels. The samples were pre-extracted with acetonitrile, extracted using a periodic mesoporousorganosilica molecular imprinted polymer (PMO-MIP) with acetone in cyclohexane and then analyzed with GC/ECD. DDT was detectedin 88% of the samples with the highest concentrations at 0.903 ppm in brew and 148.686 mg/kg from the kernels. DDD was detected in 86% of the Marula brew samples with the highest concentration at 0.483 ppm and 68.219 mg/kg from the kernels. However, DDE was found in lower concentrations of 0.138 ppm and 30.132 mg/kg from the brew and kernels respectively. The study concluded that people and animals are at risk of DDT residual accumulation as 98% of the samples collected had the analytes detected at level above the WHO safety limit of 0.05 ppm.