IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF ORGANOPHOSPHATE AND IMIDACLOPRID RESIDUES IN COMMON FOODS; POTENTIAL IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH.

ABSTRACT The use of herbicides, pesticides, and preservatives in modern agriculture is crucial for enhancing crop yields, preventing post-harvest losses, and ensuring food security. However, the widespread application of these agrochemicals raises significant concerns about their impact on the safety and quality of common foods during both pre-harvest and post-harvest stages. The persistence of agrochemical residues in common foods poses significant challenges to food safety and quality, potentially leading to acute and chronic health issues, including toxicity, cancer, reproductive disorders, neurodevelopmental problems, and disruptions to the endocrine system. Moreover, these residues can contribute to environmental contamination and interfere with sustainable pest management practices. This research seeks to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on food safety and agricultural practices, providing insights that are essential for developing strategies to mitigate the risks associated with agrochemical consumption. In this study, we investigated the likely presence of agrochemical residues in common foods using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and predicted their potential effects on human health, focusing on their inhibitory potential on key human enzymes such as cytochrome P450, P53, and Na, K-ATPase. These enzymes are critical for various biological processes, including detoxification, cell cycle regulation, and cellular ion balance. The findings of this study showed that some of the food substances studied contained an appreciable amount of agrochemical residues at a concentration that was above the permissible limit. Similarly, the bioinformatic study revealed that most of these agrochemicals have the potential to inhibit the key human enzyme studied, and this is expected to have severe consequences on human health. The findings aim to inform relevant policymakers and promote the responsible use of herbicides, pesticides, and preservatives, thereby ensuring the safety and quality of common foods for current and future generations.