DETERMINATION OF PESTICIDE RESIDUE IN SOIL AND WATER OBTAINED FROM LADOKUN VILLAGE

Sustainable agriculture practices and integrated pest management for avoiding environmental pollution are necessary to maintain a high yield in crop productions. Pesticide residues in soil and water have been evaluated in previous years, and they could now have varied after farmers have adopted the different measures recommended. Agricultural practices have significantly evolved over the past century, with the introduction of chemical pesticides being one of the most notable advancements. These chemicals are designed to control pests that threaten crop yields, thus ensuring food security and economic stability for farmers, However, the use of pesticides is not without consequences. These chemicals can leave residues in the environment, particularly in soil and water, which can persist for long periods. This study was designed to (i) to determine the level of pesticide residue level in soil using for agricultural activities and (ii) to determine the level of pesticide residue level in water from the study area. The soil samples were collected at different section of agricultural areas and water samples were collected randomly to form a composite sample during the dry and rainy seasons. A multi-residue method based on solid phase extraction (for water samples) or solid liquid extraction (for soil samples) and Using computer searches on a NIST Ver. 08 MS data library and comparing the spectrum obtained through GC-MS, compounds present in the soil and water samples were identified. Interpretation on mass spectrum of GC-MS was done using the database of National Institute Standard and Technology (NIST) having more than 62,000 patterns The result revealed the presence of four classes of pesticide residues which include; Organophosphate: Organochlorine, Synthetic pyrethroids, and Carbamate. Twenty-two pesticide compounds detected in general and they were a-Lindane, γ-Lindane, Atrazine, Dieldrin, pp'-DDT, Chlordan, Ethion, Prothiofos, Phosphoric acid as organochlorine; Dichlorvos, Chlorpyrifos, Malathion as organophosphate; Carbaryl, Endosulfan, Methomyl, Carbofuran as carbamate; cypermethrin synthetic pyrethroids. All pesticide residues recorded in the soil and water samples from the various points were above the respective WHO 2017 MRLs for soil and water except for Ethion and Prothiofos. Pesticide residues of Dichlovos, beta-BHC, Dieldrin, Heptachlor, Heptachlor-epoxide, cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, and beta-endosulfan showed significant differences at p