Pesticides residue analysis in yam from selected markets across Ghana and Belgium: an evaluation of the QUECHERS method

Abstract

Background: In recent years, concerns have been raised in Ghana regarding the use of pesticides in yamproduction to the extent that it is feared that pesticides residues may be found in the yam tuber which isconsumed by many Ghanaians. This present study, therefore, was designed to assess the level of pesticides residues in yam bought from across Ghanaian markets i.e. production for local consumption and from Belgium grocery shops (export production from Ghana) using the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Efficient, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) method coupled with LC-MS/MS. A total of 180 yam samples, including 150 from Ghana and 30 from Belgium were collected and pesticides residues were analyzed using a multi-residue method. Results: A total of 25 pesticides were screened in the yam samples and 11 of them were detected. Theresults indicated that about 46% of the samples contained one or more of the 11 detected pesticides in arange of 0. 000014 mg/kg up to 0.0146 mg/kg. The three most detected pesticides in this study were fenpropimorph, cadusafos and fenitrothion, occurring in 179, 171 and 126 samples respectively. All the detected pesticides were below their respective EU maximum residue limits (MRL). Conclusion: By these results, it can be said that, the residues of the monitored pesticides found in yam arevery low and are unlikely to pose a negative human health effect.

Resource Use Efficiency of Yam Production among Smallholder Farmers and Effect to the Environment in the Tropics

“…Literatures revealed that most victims of pesticides food poison might be as result of none or partial washing of agricultural produce that were treated with chemicals before consumption. As well, eating grains, vegetables and fruits whose the residual effects of the chemical used for treating them have not expired might lead to pesticide poison [45]. Water pollution furthermore was observed by 47.5% of the farmers studied in the study area.…”

“…Besides, 37.08% of the sampled population reported problem of development of resistant pests. Literatures show that the long use of persistent pesticides like DDT produces pesticide -resistant pests which will produce progenies requiring higher doses of pesticides for their eradication [45]. As well, pesticides such as 2,4-D and triclopyr, when misused could result in lowering soil fertility through depopulating the beneficial soil microorganisms (nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae, mycorrhizal fungi etc) that aid in enhance fertility-status of the soil [46,44].…”

State of the Art of Yam Production

“…Since MRLs are not safety limits, risk assessment were carried out with the monitoring results which showed that the residues found in the yam will be unlikely to have adverse effects on health [72]. Similarly, in the studies of Wumbei et al, [73,74] metalaxyl, and propiconazole), and three herbicides (bentazone, glyphosate, and pendimethalin) were detected. However, when consumption risk assessment was carried out, it was revealed that there was no risk of dietary intake of these pesticides in yam under the deterministic approach (Table 5) and simple distribution approach (Table 6), but there was intake risk in about 10% of the study population to fenpropimorph and fenitrothion under the probabilistic (upper bound scenario) approach (Table 7) [75].…”

Evaluation of 99 Pesticide Residues in Major Agricultural Products from the Western Highlands Zone of Cameroon Using QuEChERS Method Extraction and LC-MS/MS and GC-ECD Analyses

“…The QuEChERS method has the advantages of high recovery, high sample throughput, low solvent and glassware usage, less labor and bench space, lower reagent costs, ruggedness, and low worker exposure [19,20]. Thus, analytical chemists now prefer to use the QuEChERS method with a d-SPE clean-up when required; it is streamlined and effective for analysis of diverse residues in food matrices [2,21,22]. The present study analyzes and validates the residues of 99 pesticides in 72 samples of 12 agricultural products collected in the western highlands of Cameroon, using the QuEChERS method as the extraction and clean-up technique, and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) for detection.…”