The Rapid Degradation of Lambda-Cyhalothrin Makes Treated Vegetables Relatively Safe for Consumption

Rousseau Djouaka, Murielle Farrelle Soglo, Michael Olugbenga Kusimo, Razack Adéoti, Armand Talom, Francis Zeukeng, Armand Paraïso, Victor Afari-Sefa, May-Guri Saethre, Victor Manyong, Manuele Tamò, Jeff Waage, Jo Lines and George Mahuku
Additional contact information
Rousseau Djouaka: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou 08 BP 0932, Benin
Murielle Farrelle Soglo: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou 08 BP 0932, Benin
Michael Olugbenga Kusimo: Center for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), Yaounde, Cameroon
Razack Adéoti: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou 08 BP 0932, Benin
Armand Talom: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou 08 BP 0932, Benin
Francis Zeukeng: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou 08 BP 0932, Benin
Armand Paraïso: Department of Vegetal Production, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, P.O. Box 123, Parakou, Benin
Victor Afari-Sefa: World Vegetable Center, C/O IITA-Benin Campus, Cotonou 08 BP 0932, Benin
May-Guri Saethre: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), PMB 5320, Ibadan 200284, Nigeria
Victor Manyong: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), P.O. Box 34441, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Manuele Tamò: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cotonou 08 BP 0932, Benin
Jeff Waage: Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London WC1E 7HT, UK
Jo Lines: Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London WC1E 7HT, UK
George Mahuku: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), P.O. Box 34441, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: Lambda-cyhalothrin (λ-cyhalothrin) is the most commonly used pyrethroid insecticide for vegetable farming in Benin. This insecticide is misused and overused by farmers, and hence may pose health hazards to consumers. We monitored λ-cyhalothrin residues in lettuce and cabbage from farms at the market gates in Cotonou and Parakou using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis techniques. These residues were also monitored on samples directly from farms (on-farm sampling) for 14 days post-treatment. Potential factors such as photolysis and hydrolysis involved in λ-cyhalothrin degradation were also screened. Results revealed that the level of λ-cyhalothrin residue concentrations in lettuce from Houeyiho decreased from 4.2 mg/kg on Day 1 to about 0.2 mg/kg on Day 7. On Day 9, analyzed lettuces were all λ-cyhalothrin free. In contrast, even 14 days after treatment of cabbage from Bawera (Parakou), we still recorded the presence of λ-cyhalothrin residues in analyzed samples. For samples from market gates, λ-cyhalothrin residues were found in lettuce from two markets out of the nine surveyed in Cotonou. Interestingly, none of these contaminated samples had residues above the maximum residue limit for lettuce (MRL = 0.5 mg/kg). Similarly, in Parakou, samples from all five surveyed vegetable markets were contaminated with λ-cyhalothrin residues at concentrations below the MRL for cabbage (MRL = 0.2 mg/kg). We conclude that λ-cyhalothrin residues in lettuce and cabbage from farms and markets in Parakou and Cotonou are within the MRL, and hence are relatively safe for consumption.

Keywords: Benin; HPLC; lambda-cyhalothrin residues; vegetables (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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