Multi Residue Analysis of Pesticides in Wheat and Khat Collected from Different Regions of Ethiopia

Abstract

The present study investigated the presence and level of pesticide residues in wheat and khat samples collected from various localities of Ethiopia. The khat samples from Galemso and Aseno had p,p'-DDT concentrations ranged from 141.2 to 973.0 μg/Kg and 194.3-999.0 μg/Kg, respectively. Diazinon was detected in all the khat samples from BadaBuna (173.9-686.9 μg/Kg) but not in any of the samples from Galemso and Aseno. Diazinon was detected in all the wheat samples obtained from both Arsi and Bale (125.8 and 125.6 μg/Kg, respectively) and aldrin levels in these samples were below the quantification limit. Khat may be a contributing factor in the pathological diseases found among khat users.

Qat Chewing and Risk of Potentially Malignant and Malignant Oral Disorders: A Systematic Review

“…72 Another study conducted in 2009 investigated the presence and level of pesticide residues in Qat samples collected from various parts of Ethiopia. 74 The Qat samples had pp'-DDT concentrations ranging from 141.2 to 973.0 µg/kg. Maximum concentrations were found between 240 and 1200 times the European Union maximum recommended levels for DDT in food (vegetables 10 µg/kg, and cereals 50 µg/kg).…”

Medicinal value of camel milk and meat

“…The low bioaccumulation of pesticides in camel meat (Sallam and Morshedy 2008) is particularly of interest because many African countries still have major problems with organochlorine abuse in terms of the inventory of obsolete pesticides or the lack of control over their use, which consequently leads to health problems (Daba et al 2011). Camels are, however, mostly reared in arid regions where the use of pesticides is limited; it might be the lack of exposure rather than natural low bioaccumulation that is the cause of the low organochlorines observed by Sallam and Morshedy (2008).…”

Khat use and related addiction, mental health an physical disorders: the need to address a growing risk

“…As with mental health, adverse effects are commonly linked with prolonged or excessive use. However, the major shortcoming of this literature is that other explanations for the physical disorders have not been systematically ruled out, for example tobacco smoking which is frequently combined with khat use (15,21) and the agrochemical content in the leaves (44,45). The negative physical consequences associated with khat use include mucosal problems (46), oral lesions (47), gastric cancers and duodenal ulcers (42), hypertension (48), cardiovascular complications (49), stroke (50), sexual dysfunction (51), hepatoxicity (52) and reduced birth weight of infants born to khat-chewing mothers (53), to mention just a few.…”