Analysis Of Pesticide Residue In Maize And Beans Types In Lagos Markets

ABSTRACT

Pesticides used in agriculture for the control of various pests often leave residues in foodstuffs and these have been shown to pose health hazards, Analysis of pesticide residues in food is one way to determine the level of human exposure to these chemicals and hence their potential human health hazards.

Maize (Zea mays L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) samples purchased from different markets in Lagos State were analyzed for residues of organochlorine, organophosphate and carbamate pesticides. Analysis was done using gas chromatograph with mass spectrometric detector (GC-MS) after careful extraction and cleanup. Most of the maize samples (96%) were found to contain residues of one or more pesticides with concentrations ranging from 2.2-3951.0 ug/kg. The white types of maize contained higher concentrations of residues than the yellow types. Three classes of pesticides were detected in maize. All the samples of beans analyzed contained at least one pesticide residue (100% incidence). White beans were found to contain higher concentrations of residues than the brown types. The concentrations of organochlorine, organophosphate and carbamate pesticides residues in beans ranged from 2.3-1480.5 g/kg.