The vegetables, Chinese kale and Pakchoi, which are popular among the Thai people, are found to have problems with residues of pesticide. The pesticide residues in both Kale and Pakchoi were chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin. This research was to study the efficiency of pesticide residue reduction in Chinese kale and Pakchoi samples by using various household wash processing. The process included washing with normal water, 0.10% NaCl, baking soda, water flowing, and blanching. Pesticide residues were extracted from Chinese kale and Pakchoi to determine the amount of chlorpyriphos and cypermethrin residue by using analytical tools such as Gas Chromatography— Flame Photometric Detector (FPD) and Gas Chromatography—Electron Capture Detector (ECD). The results showed that the household processes for reducing the chlorpyrifos residue in Chinese kale and Pakchoi were the following: residues were reduced by 52.70–65.41%, 58.33–62.14%, 59.46–80.52%, and 46.04–62.85% when washed with normal water, 0.10% NaCl, baking soda, and water flowing through, respectively. Similarly, the household processes for reducing cypermethrin residue in Chinese kale and Pakchoi were the following: residues were reduced by 51.13–66.29%, 33.75–45.65%, 38.14–63.64%, and 44.88–61.63% when washed with normal water, 10% NaCl, baking soda, and water flowing through, respectively. Also, blanching reduced the chlorpyrifos residue by 37.96–50.44% and the cypermethrin residue by 47.86–52.42%. Therefore, while washing vegetables by soaking and dissolving substances, baking soda is the most effective when used for washing for at least 15 min to reduce the residue of pesticides. The consumers should be provided vegetables that are cleaned and have had a proper washing for removing pesticide residues and toxic residues.

This quasiexperimental study was designed to determine the effectiveness of a participatory program on pesticide use behavior and blood cholinesterase levels. The participants were 18–60 years old, living in Thung Satok subdistrict, San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province. Eighty subjects, including 32 farmers and 48 consumers, were recruited to participate in the study voluntarily by a purposive sampling technique. Data concerning each individual’s behaviors were collected using questionnaires, and blood cholinesterase levels were obtained from whole blood finger, providing whole blood pre and postexperiment. The data were analyzed using Fishers’ exact and paired t-tests, for the problem situations were independently analyzed. The results show that the participatory process made it possible to improve methods for the prevention of the unhealthy effects of pesticides. After participating in the activities, both groups showed significantly higher scores in before and after knowledge ( P < 0.05 ) and a decrease in pesticide contamination in their bodies as a result of the measurement of average cholinesterase which increased significantly ( P < 0.001 ). In conclusion, the participatory program was applied to solve health problems from chemical hazards. The program can raise awareness about chemical toxicity, leading to the modification of the related behavior toward chemicals and reduction of the contamination of chemicals in the body. Therefore, the adoption of participatory processes can effectively solve problems related to chemical hazards that affect health.

No abstract