Determination of levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in some common grown and consumed vegetables purchased from Ho Municipal markets, Ghana

Abstract

Using gas chromatography—electron capture detector protocol, pesticide residue levels on four common vegetables (cabbage, carrot, lettuce, and tomatoes) consumed in Ho Municipal, Ghana, were investigated. A total of 5 kg each of the vegetables were randomly sampled in triplicate and from three different markets. Organochlorine pesticides, including residues of γ-HCH, δ-HCH, heptachlor, aldrin, p, p’-DDT, o, p’-DDT and p, p’-DDE detected in vegetables sampled were above recommended EU MRL. Lettuce recorded the highest aldrin (1.23 mg/kg) as well as γ-HCH (0.013 mg/kg) residue levels, while heptachlor (1.05 mg/kg) and δ-HCH (0.23 mg/kg) were highest for cabbage. Maximal residues of p, p’-DDT (1.194 mg/kg) and p, p’-DDE (0.147 mg/kg) were found in tomatoes. Though consumption of these vegetables does not currently pose significant health risk to both adults and children, consumers should be careful as residues could accumulate and pose chronic health hazards. Hence, there is a need for constant surveillance to regulate pesticide use in vegetable farming.

Keywords:

• Vegetables
• Organochlorine pesticides
• Gas chromatography
• Pesticide residue
• Maximum residue level
• Health risk
• Market

Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate the staff and National Service Personnel of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (Chemistry Laboratory) for their assistance in pesticide residue analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data Availability Statement

Derived data supporting the outcomes of this research are available from the corresponding author [J.A] when requested.

Additional information

Funding

This work had support from the Ghana Government Book and Research Allowance for tertiary institutions.