A Critical Review of the Status of Pesticide Exposure Management in Malawi

Kosamu, Ishmael Bobby Mphangwe; Kaonga, Chikumbusko Chiziwa; Utembe, Wells

doi:10.3390/ijerph17186727

Cited by 20 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Farm workers" exposure to pesticides has been associated with adverse health effects like cancer and birth defects resulting in hundreds of fatalities, the majority of which occur in developing countries (Damalas and Koutroubas, 2016). Farmers and especially those directly involved in the handling of pesticides, are at a high risk of exposure to pesticides through contact with pesticide residues on treated crops, unsafe handling, storage and disposal practices, poor maintenance of spraying equipment, and the lack of protective equipment or failure to use it properly (Kosamu et al, 2020). Pesticide handlers are regularly involved with various activities like mixing, loading or application of pesticides.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and attitude of Khat growing farmers on the safe use and handling of pesticides in Haromaya Wereda, Oromia Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

Regassa¹,

Regassa²

2021

Afr. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The awareness level of the farmers growing Khat regarding the safe use of pesticide was investigated in this study at Haromaya Wereda, Eastern Ethiopia. In order to achieve the proposed objectives, structured questionnaires, oral discussions, and field observations were organized with the farmers growing Khat on the safe use of pesticide. After the study sites were selected purposively, systematic random sampling of the target population was applied. The study result revealed that the farmers lack training on pesticide practices, and most of them use their own experience and consult their neighbours. The findings of the study further indicated that majority of the farmers do not believe that pesticides can be detected in the soil, fruit and leaves of tree, air, ground water and food. Nearly half of the farmers were aware of the harmful effects of using pesticide on insects and birds. The farmers have poor understanding of the effect of long term exposure to pesticides compared to short term exposure. The farmers' understanding of exposure to pesticides through respiratory system and mouth is relatively satisfactory compared to the dermal exposure. Over one third of the farmers had no knowledge of how to store pesticides in the right conditions. However, greater percentage strongly believes that pesticides should be kept out of the reach of children. Even though, majority of the respondents indicated that DDT was used on Khat, only few of them have knowledge of its illegal importation. The outcomes of the study confirmed the need of training on the safe use of pesticides to raise the awareness of the farmers and safeguard the health of the farmers and the environment.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and attitude of Khat growing farmers on the safe use and handling of pesticides in Haromaya Wereda, Oromia Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

Regassa¹,

Regassa²

2021

Afr. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Officials are concerned with potential harm to human beings and the environment due to their toxicity, by itself or in combination [ 60 , 126 , 127 ]. The scarcity of information is contributed by the fact that some of these countries lack state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for their identification and quantification [ 128 ]. Therefore, there is a need for monitoring authorities and policymakers to ensure the availability of these types of equipment for analysis of emerging contaminants, including drug abuse, for a safer ecosystem.…”

Section: Occurrences Of Illicit Drugs In Sub-saharan Africa Environme...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of Illicit Drug Use to Pharmaceutical Load in the Environment: A Focus on Sub‐Saharan Africa

Ripanda

Rwiza

Nyanza

et al. 2022

Journal of Environmental and Public Health

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Illicit drug abuse and addiction are universal issues requiring international cooperation and interdisciplinary and multisectoral solutions. These addictive substances are utilized for recreational purposes worldwide, including in sub-Saharan Africa. On the other hand, conventional wastewater treatment facilities such as waste stabilization ponds lack the design to remove the most recent classes of pollutants such as illicit drug abuse. As a result, effluents from these treatment schemes contaminate the entire ecosystem. Public health officials are concerned about detecting these pollutants at alarming levels in some countries, with potential undesirable effects on aquatic species and increased health hazards through exposure to contaminated waters or recycling treated or untreated effluents in agriculture. Contaminants including illicit substances enter the environment by human excreta following illegal intake, spills, or through direct dumping, such as from clandestine laboratories, when their manufacturer does not follow accepted production processes. These substances, like other pharmaceuticals, have biological activity and range from pseudopersistent to highly persistent compounds; hence, they persist in the environment while causing harm to the ecosystem. The presence of powerful pharmacological agents such as cocaine, morphine, and amphetamine in water as complex combinations can impair aquatic organisms and human health. These compounds can harm human beings and ecosystem health apart from their low environmental levels. Therefore, this article examines the presence and levels of illicit substances in ecological compartments such as wastewater, surface and ground waters in sub-Saharan Africa, and their latent impact on the ecosystem. The information on the occurrences of illicit drugs and their metabolic products in the sub-Saharan Africa environment and their contribution to pharmaceutical load is missing. In this case, it is important to research further the presence, levels, distribution, and environmental risks of exposure to human beings and the entire ecosystem.

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“…Pesticides are widely used globally due to their benefits in controlling the manifestation of pests. They can be applied throughout the food production chain i.e., farm, production, storage, transportation, distribution, processing, and at the consumer level [ 7 , 71 , 78 , 79 , 80 ]. They are essentially chemicals used to mitigate against pests that cause plant diseases.…”

Section: Environmental Chemical Contaminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical Contamination Pathways and the Food Safety Implications along the Various Stages of Food Production: A Review

Lebelo

Malebo

Mochane

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Historically, chemicals exceeding maximum allowable exposure levels have been disastrous to underdeveloped countries. The global food industry is primarily affected by toxic chemical substances because of natural and anthropogenic factors. Food safety is therefore threatened due to contamination by chemicals throughout the various stages of food production. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the form of pesticides and other chemical substances such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) have a widely documented negative impact due to their long-lasting effect on the environment. This present review focuses on the chemical contamination pathways along the various stages of food production until the food reaches the consumer. The contamination of food can stem from various sources such as the agricultural sector and pollution from industrialized regions through the air, water, and soil. Therefore, it is imperative to control the application of chemicals during food packaging, the application of pesticides, and antibiotics in the food industry to prevent undesired residues on foodstuffs. Ultimately, the protection of consumers from food-related chemical toxicity depends on stringent efforts from regulatory authorities both in developed and underdeveloped nations.

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A Critical Review of the Status of Pesticide Exposure Management in Malawi

Cited by 20 publications

References 69 publications

Knowledge and attitude of Khat growing farmers on the safe use and handling of pesticides in Haromaya Wereda, Oromia Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

Knowledge and attitude of Khat growing farmers on the safe use and handling of pesticides in Haromaya Wereda, Oromia Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

Contribution of Illicit Drug Use to Pharmaceutical Load in the Environment: A Focus on Sub‐Saharan Africa

Chemical Contamination Pathways and the Food Safety Implications along the Various Stages of Food Production: A Review

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