Occurrence and Levels of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Maize Samples from Open Markets and Stores in Ile-Ife and Ondo, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

The levels of organochlorine (OC) pesticide residues in maize grains obtained from open markets and stores in Ile-Ife and Ondo were evaluated and compared with established safety limits. The pretreated samples were Soxhlet extracted and the extracts obtained were analysed for their OCPs content using a Gas Chromatograph coupled with an Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD). A total of 17 OCPs and their residues were detected in most of the samples with the percentage occurrence ranging between 20 and 100%, and the levels found exceeding their Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). The mean concentration of -HCH, Endosulfan II and Endrin aldehyde were 0.118, 0.592 and 1.039 mg kg -1 , respectively for maize samples obtained from open markets in Ile-Ife. However, maize samples from Ondo had higher levels of Heptachlor epoxide with a mean concentrations of 13.622 and 18.642 mg kg -1 for open markets and stores, respectively. Amounts of OC pesticide residues detected in the maize samples indicated that samples from stores had higher residue levels than those from open markets. The level of OC pesticides contamination of the analysed maize samples portends both short-and long-term public health concerns, calling for regular monitoring of pesticide residues in maize grains and other food items to ensure higher food quality and safety.

Dietary risk assessment of organochlorine pesticide residues in maize-based complementary breakfast food products in Nigeria

“…It is reported to be one of the most popular insecticides currently available in agrochemical shops and markets and are now been used as a replacement for Lindane (γ-HCH) ( Sosan and Oyekunle, 2017 ). The levels of endosulfan sulfate detected in this study were higher than the concentrations earlier reported by Sosan et al. (2018) and Anzene et al.…”

“…Maize is the main raw material for all the products analysed and the results obtained from the analysed samples were comparable with previous studies on maize in Nigeria and other African countries. Sosan et al. (2018) reported 17 OCPs residues in maize samples in Southwestern Nigeria which were generally higher than the levels recorded from this study with the exception of endosulfan sulfate and aldrin.…”

“…This shows that the possible source of the contamination of the food products could be the raw materials most especially maize produced in Nigeria or imported from neighbouring countries that are often utilized for the production of these complementary foods. Furthermore, the high levels of the xenobiotics could have resulted from the contamination of maize from field and/or in storage ( Anzene et al., 2014 ; Sosan et al., 2018 ). The field contamination could be due to application of the banned illegal pesticides for control of insect pest of maize by the farmers or contamination by irrigation waters or soils as the organochlorines are ubiquitous and could remain in soils contaminating agricultural produce for several years, and nonpoint sources through transportation (atmospheric deposition, runoff and leaching) from other agricultural farm land.…”

“…The misuse, abuse and continuous usage of banned pesticides such as OCPs have resulted in the presence of their residues in maize which serves as the raw materials for production of complementary food products. The OCPs residues were detected in maize that originated from Nigeria ( Ogah et al., 2011 ; Anzene et al., 2014 ; Sosan et al., 2018 ) and other African countries such as Cote D'ivoire ( Allé et al., 2009 ); Togo ( Mawussi et al., 2009 ); Ghana ( Akoto et al., 2013 ); Tanzania ( Mahugija et al., 2017 ). The presence of pesticides residues have also been reported in cereal-based complementary foods for infants and children in Ghana ( Akoto et al., 2015 ), Ethiopia ( Mekonen et al., 2015 ), China ( Yang et al., 2020 ) and in French manufactured baby and common foods ( Nougadère et al., 2020 ).…”

Human health risk assessments of organochlorine pesticides in some food crops from Esa-Oke farm settlement, Osun State, Nigeria

“…Levels of p,p’- DDT in the crop samples were lower than that of its metabolites (p,p’- DDD, p,p’- DDE and p,p’- methoxychlor) suggesting that p,p’- DDT was one of the components of pesticides that had been used in the farm settlement over time ( Osibanjo, 1994 ; Sosan et al., 2018 ). Also, higher levels of heptachlor epoxide than heptachlor suggested that most of the heptachlor had probably been transformed to heptachlor epoxide and this signified higher stability of the derivatives and confirmed the fact that heptachlor epoxide could be resistant to degradation in the environment than the parent compound.…”