Author(s)

Samuel Oluyemi Adefemi, Samuel Sunday Asaolu, Olayinka Abidemi Ibigbami^*, Joshua Iseoluwa Orege, Mayowa Akeem Azeez, Abiodun Folasade Akinsola

Department of Chemistry, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.

Background: This study evaluates the quantitative assessment of persistent organochorine pesticide (OCPs) residues in vegetables (Senecio biafrae) from four selected cocoa plantations in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Methods: The pesticides were extracted from the vegetable samples by using USEPA 3500C method and later clean-up on activated silica gel. The pesticides residues in the samples were determined using Gas Chromatography coupled with Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD). Results: The results showed that the analyzed samples were contaminated with ten OCPs. The mean OCPs concentration ranged from ND—0.399 mg/kg to ND—0.379 mg/kg during the wet and dry seasons respectively. α-BHC, β-BHC, p, p’-DDE, dieldrin, endrin, endosulfan sulphate and methoxychlor were not detected in the samples. Pesticides such as aldrin, endosulfan II, endrin aldehyde and heptachlor slightly exceeded their maximum residue limit. Conclusion: The hazard indices (HI) of heptachlor, endosulfan I, endosulfan II, aldrin, heptachlor-epoxide and p, p’-DDT exceeded 1 and thus pose likely potential non-carcinogenic health risk.

Organochlorine Pesticides, Vegetables, Risk, Residues, Gas Chromatography

Adefemi, S. , Asaolu, S. , Ibigbami, O. , Orege, J. , Azeez, M. and Akinsola, A. (2018) Multi-Residue Levels of Persistent Organochlorine Pesticides in Edible Vegetables: A Human Health Risk Assessment. Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment, 7, 143-152. doi: 10.4236/jacen.2018.74013.