Status of persistent organic pesticide residues in water and food and their effects on environment and farmers: a comprehensive review in Nigeria

Abstract

Pesticide helps to enhance agricultural production, however, it significantly affect both socio and environmental entities of a country. In Nigeria, pesticide is widely used, thus its traces have been detected in water, soil and air. Several studies have already indicated that most of the environmental ecology (air, water, and soil) in Nigeria has been contaminated by persistent organic pesticides like organochlorine and organophosphate. Other reasons of high pesticide residues present in Nigeria environment is due to inappropriate dosage applied of pesticides that leaves behind excess. However, its residues are found above safety levels in the air, water, and soil across the nation. Based on previous analysis, it is indicated that 125,000-130,000 metric ton pesticides are being applied annually in Nigeria. Despite banned of some pesticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-and -Hexachlorocyclohexane, they are still being used by farmers in their agricultural production. Many of the Class 1 (high extremely toxic) pesticides are still being used in developing countries like Nigeria. Hence, there is need to sensitize and educate the general public especially the end-users (farmers) particularly on management practices of pesticides. Considering these entire hazardous situations, in this article the history of pesticide used in Nigeria has been reviewed in detail. The article also discussed the effects of pesticide use in Nigerian waters, soil and on crops. The risk of residual pesticide on agricultural workers, pesticide residue risk preventive measures by the Federal Government of Nigeria, banned and restricted pesticides in Nigeria, Nigerian Government and its efforts to eliminate persistent organic pesticides in use are also reviewed in details. Key words: Organic pesticide. Organochlorine. Organophosphate. DDT. HCH. Residue. ResumoInseticidas ajudam a aumentar a produção agrícola, no entanto, afetam significativamente a sociedade e o ambiente do país. Na Nigéria, os inseticidas são amplamente utilizados, assim, seus resíduos foram detectados na água, solo e ar. Vários estudos já indicaram que a maior parte dos aspetos ecológicos ambientais (ar, água e solo) na Nigéria tenham sido contaminados por pesticidas orgânicos persistentes como os organoclorados (OCL) e organofosforados (OP). Outro motivo relacionado com a ocorrência de resíduos elevados de inseticidas presentes no meio ambiente na Nigéria é devido às dosagens inadequadas aplicadas de pesticidas que são aplicados em excesso. No entanto, seus resíduos são

Agriculture Development, Pesticide Application and Its Impact on the Environment

“…Pesticide mobility in water results in pesticide contamination of water resources [31,176]. Both surface water and groundwater pollution caused by pesticides are very serious and urgent issues in freshwater and coastal ecosystems throughout the world [25,173,177].…”

“…According to the OECD (2001) report, agriculture in the EU contributes 40-80% of total nitrogen and 20-40% of phosphorus to the pollution of surface waters. Another example is that herbicides have contaminated 37,000 to 500,000 m2 of the wetlands in Saskatchewan (Canada), and the contamination levels exceeded the national standard [176]. Such pesticide contamination in water not only directly impacts the drinking water quality in local areas but also causes indirect impacts by transferring to the next species, such as in soil and the food chain [189].…”

Risk Assessment of Organochlorine Residues in Agricultural Crops Cultivated [2020] on/around Abandoned Tin Mine Areas in Jos South LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria

“…Pesticides are commonly used both in domestic and agricultural production to provide crop protection, boost up the yield in agricultural productivity, improve nutrition in food, its use is assumed an economic, labour-saving, and efficient tool for pest management, despite its adverse effects on ecological environment, human and animal's health [1,2]. Their widespread use combined with over-application, accidental spills, runoff from mixing-loading areas, and faulty waste disposal creates environmental concerns as well as toxic biological [3].…”

“…In 1990 when the use of pesticide was not as much in Jos -Plateau as in recent years, [4] stated that an approximately three million people are poisoned and 220,000 die each year around the world from insecticide poisoning, the majority of which occur in developing countries, although far greater quantities are used in developed countries [5] Pesticides have been associated with a wide variety of human health hazards, ranging from acute impacts such as headache, vomiting, and diarrhoea to chronic impacts like cancer, reproductive harm, and endocrine disruption [6,7]. Pesticides are poisons produced because they have toxic effects on one pest or the other which are not target specific and may eventually cause diseases which may be chronic to nontarget organisms [1,8].…”

Organic Management of ‘Maradol’ Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Crops: Effects on the Sensorial and Physicochemical Characteristics of Fruits

“…Conventional procedures employ chemically synthesized inputs (fertilizers and compounds for controlling pests and diseases). This strategy, which assists in plant development and pest control, has some negative implications when overused [4]; i.e., the excessive accumulation of substances; the contamination of the soil, water, and air; and the appearance of resistance to some of the compounds [5].…”