DETERMINATION OF ORGANOPHOSPHATE PESTICIDES IN AGRICULTURAL SOILS FROM EFFURUN TOWN, DELTA STATE
Abstract
The application of agrochemicals such as organophosphate pesticides (OPP's) has several benefits in agriculture but also poses great risks to the environment and human well-being. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the concentrations and potential risks of OPPs in agricultural soils from Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. Soil samples were collected from five farmlands in five different communities (Uti, Okorikpehre, Ukpolokposo, Enerhe and Ekpan) using soil auger. Fourteen OPPs were determined in the soil using a gas chromatograph-mass selective detector (GC-MSD) after ultrasonic extraction using a mixture of petroleum ether and acetone (1:4 v/v). The concentrations of the 214 OPPs in the agricultural soils from Effurun town ranged from 1.39 to 16.6 ng g¹ with a mean of 5.65 ng g¹. On the average, the concentrations of the individual OPPs congeners was in the order of Diazinone EPN >Isazophos > Pyrazophos Fenitrthion> Pirimiphos Ethyl Azinphos-ethyl Phosalone Pyraclofos Chlorpyrifos Chloropyriphos-methyl Pirimiphos Methyl Quinalphos Triphenyl Phosphate. The hazard index values of OPPs in the agricultural soil from Uvwie LGA's were < 1 and suggested that there is no adverse non-cancer risk for humans from OPPs in the agricultural soils.
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