Amphibian skin is extremely permeable to environmental contaminants and their health is inextricably linked to environmental health. Hence the objective of this study was to evaluate the level of pesticide contamination in amphibian tissues and their environment (soil and sediment) at Ojo Camp-Ugboke cocoa plantations in Edo State, southern Nigeria using HP 5890 series gas chromatography system coupled with an Electron Capture Detector (ECD). Data obtained showed that thirteen organochlorine pesticides, one triazine herbicide, carbamate, and organophosphate were found in high concentrations. All pesticides components were detected in amphibian tissues, most with higher concentrations than other samples. The high permeability of amphibian skin is responsible for the detected in-tissue concentrations. Pesticide residues in amphibian tissues are not only harmful to their health, but also pose a health risk to those who consume amphibian meat as a delicacy. Local farmers' unabated/unregulated use of pesticides may contribute in amphibian population decline. For a healthier environment, it is best to increase public awareness while also supporting routine monitoring and regulation by relevant agencies.
Cocoa pods are vulnerable to pest and diseases which often cause huge financial losses to farmers. To address this challenge and improve yield, cocoa farmers often resort to pesticide application on the cocoa trees. This leads to deposition of pesticides residues on the cocoa trees, the undergrowth and plantations floor with devastating consequences for amphibians including tree frogs. Previous studies have reported the immune suppressive nature of pesticides on anurans thereby rendering them more susceptible to infection. This study is part of an on-going investigation of the effect of pesticide application on the pattern of helminth parasitic infections of anurans in pesticide-treated cocoa plantations at Ugboke, Edo State. A total of 354 tree frogs belonging to three genera (Leptopelis, Hyperolius and Afrixalus), consisting of 14 species were examined. A high species richness (d=1.971) and diversity (H’=2.215) was recorded. Ten species (71.43%) of these frogs were infected while four (28.57%) were uninfected. The overall prevalence of parasitic infections was 30.23%. Thirteen helminth parasites including three cestodes, two digeneans and eight nematode species were recovered. A significantly higher (P<0.05) prevalence of infection was recorded during the wet season (31.64%) than in the dry (10.53%). There was high parasite diversity with low prevalence and infection intensity of infection as previously reported for other anurans collected from the same cocoa plantations
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