The aim of the present work was to apply a validated methodology for the detection of organochlorine pesticides in Didelphis virginiana (Virginia opossum) serum samples collected in Yucatan, Mexico. Recent studies performed to investigate the presence of Organochlorines (OCLs) in water, human blood and milk, and animal tissues from Yucatan have shown that the OCLs concentrations are high and can be associated with potential human health risk. Since opossum is considered an important synanthropic species in Yucatan, 40 opossum serum samples were analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detector. The most common OCLs found in opossum sera were lindanes, chlordanes, drines, and endosulfan. Heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, and lindanes were found at the highest concentrations, while dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane and its metabolites were found at the lowest concentrations in the samples. The good linearity, precision, and accuracy obtained in the evaluated parameters in the extraction and chromatographic methods support its application for the monitoring of OCLs pesticides in populations of opossums and other wild species in Yucatan.
Keywords: CG-ECD; Didelphis virginiana; Organochlorine pesticides; Yucatan.