Dietary exposure to pesticide residues in Yaoundé: The Cameroonian total diet study

Abstract

Dietary exposure to pesticide residues was assessed in Yaoundé, Cameroon, using the total diet study (TDS) method. Sixty-three composite samples, representative of the foods as consumed in Yaoundé, were collected, prepared, and analysed for residues of pesticides including organochlorine, organophosphorous, and pyrethroids. A multi-residue method was used with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.005mgkg⁻¹. Additional analyses were performed for dithiocarbamates (LOD=0.050mgkg⁻¹), glyphosate (LOD=0.005mgkg⁻¹) and chlordecone (LOD=0.0008mgkg⁻¹) on certain composites samples. The overall contamination was low with 37 out of 46 pesticides below the LOD in all samples. The estimated upper bound (for values less than the LOD equal the LOD; and values less than the LOQ equal the LOQ) of the mean dietary exposures ranged from 0.24% (cypermethrin) to 3.03% (pirimiphos-methyl) of the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) for pesticides for which at least one analysis was greater than the LOD. This study suggests a low dietary exposure to pesticide residues in Yaoundé.

Keywords:

• Total diet study
• pesticide residues
• food intake
• exposure assessment
• Cameroon

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by FAO and AFSSA. The authors would like to acknowledge the scientific contribution of the WHO TDS group, as well as Jocelyne Rocourt, Serge Simon, Daniel Souop, Daniel Fotio, Claude Tchamda, Léonard Atangana, the staff from the Laboratoire d’Hygiène Environnement (Centre Pasteur du Cameroun), and the staff from the CAUPA (Coalition pour la promotion de l’Agriculture Urbaine et Périurbaine en Afrique).