Avermectins residues in milk produced in the state of Pernambuco

Abstract

Abstract Milk is a food widely consumed by the population, so it is important that it has adequate hygienic conditions and is free of chemical contaminants from various sources. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of avermectin residues in milk produced in the state of Pernambuco. The collections were performed in the dry and rainy season, being collected 60 and 48 samples, respectively, which were analyzed in the National Agricultural Laboratory of Rio Grande do Sul by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In the dry period, 46.7% (28/60) of samples with avermectin residues above the Limit of Detection (LD), 1.7% (01/60) with levels above the Quantifiable Limit (QL) and 51.6% (31/60) did not detect any residues. In the rainy season, 6.25% (03/48) presented residues above LD and in 93.75% (45/48) of samples there was no detection of residues. No samples were detected with amounts of avermectins above the Maximum Residue Limit in this study. The milk evaluated did not expose high risks to the health of the population, due to the low level of residues present. However, veterinary drug residue monitoring data are essential for assessing human exposure to these compounds.