Endosulfan, a highly toxic insecticide and acaricide, was globally banned under the Stockholm Convention in May 2011 because of its threats to human health and the environment. Despite the ban on its use, endosulfan is still present in the environment, causing poisoning events in domestic animals and wildlife. Toxicologic analysis of poisoned animals conducted by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno revealed that in the past 3 y, this pesticide has not disappeared in the regions of interest. More than 650 samples (baits and animal organs) collected from 2013 to 2015 were analyzed through solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography-electron capture detection. This methodology allowed us to identify 45 positive samples from the Calabria region of southern Italy (10.2 % of the total samples). Most were samples of gastric content (alpha-endosulfan range: 1.27-3,800 mg/kg) and baits (alpha-endosulfan range: 92-1,497 mg/kg). Lower concentrations of pesticide were found in samples of stomach (alpha-endosulfan: 6.7-118 mg/kg) and liver (alpha-endosulfan: 0.38-14.2 mg/kg).
Keywords: Animal poisoning; Italy; endosulfan.