Assessment of pesticides residues contents in the vegetables cultivated in urban area of Lome (southern Togo) and their risks on public health and the environment, Togo

Abstract

The objective of this study was the evaluation of the health risks of the pesticides use and their bioaccumulation by the vegetables grown in Lomé gardens. Pesticide residues levels were assessed in vegetable samples collected in Lomé areas by Gaz chromatography-mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in order to know their concentrations. Data obtained were used for estimating the potential health risks associated with the exposures to these pesticides.The results showed that all of the samples contain pesticide residues with high levels of Dithiocarbamates (7.79 ppm) in carrots, Chlorpyriphos ethyl (0.445 ppm) in spinach, cucumbers (0.239 ppm), peppers (0.032 ppm), and turnips. Levels above the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of chlorothalonil, and carbendazime were found in peppers, prothioconazole and pendimethalin in turnips, cypermethrin in pepper (0.254 ppm) and in eggplant (0.037 ppm). The pepper has concentrated 5 residues, leek and turnip 4 residues each other, African eggplant 3, lettuce 2 residues and spinach 2 residues. The health risks indices show that the detected pesticides could not be considered as a serious public health problem in the studied conditions, but there is the need to increase their monitoring to reduce their misuse on the vegetables.

Organic Carrot (Daucus carota L.) Production Has an Advantage over Conventional in Quantity as Well as in Quality

“…Chlorothalonil is a broad-spectrum fungicide with low aqueous solubility. This residue has often been found in conventionally grown vegetables [74][75][76][77][78]. The substance group of systemic and selective herbicide aclonifen is not highly soluble in water, but is in many organic solvents, being moderately persistent in soil [79].…”

Biopesticide Plants species of the mining area of Tokpli (South-Togo) effects on Okra (<i>Abelmoschus esculentus</i>) protection against <i>Aphtona spp.</i>

“…Crop protection practices in gardening areas are primarily based on excessive use of synthetic pesticides which in most cases include organophosphates (27.3%) and pyrethroids (18.2%), known to be dangerous to human health and the environment (Agboyi et al, 2015). An assessment of pesticide residue contents in vegetables cultivated in urban area of Lome (capital city of Togo) has shown that 78, 57% of samples were contaminated with pesticide residues above European Union Maximum Residue Level though the level of contamination could not be considered as a serious public health problem in the studied conditions (Ahoudi et al, 2018). In developing countries, an estimated 1 to 5 million cases of pesticide poisoning occur each year, resulting in deaths of several thousands of agricultural workers including children.…”

Effect of Vegetable Commercialization on Food Safety

“…Recently, food safety concerns have been on the rise in international trade circles especially with regard to fresh food products such as vegetables. The concerns are interlinked with the effects emanating with the increasing use of agrochemicals commonly referred to as the "cocktail effect" which is the resultant interaction impact of various chemical residues (Mabe et al, 2017;Ahoudi et al, 2018). As a result of this trend, developed countries have increasingly revised their chemical residue standards thereby introducing stringent regulations for fresh produce exports from developing countries (Okello & Swinton, 2010) and boosted in-country monitoring systems.…”