Determination of Pesticide Residues in Surface and Ground Water from Wurno Irrigation Farms and Environs in Sokoto State, Nigeria
Abstract
The organochlorines (OCs) and organophosphorus (OPs) pesticides in water from Wurno irrigation farm having intensive agricultural activities were investigated to evaluate their levels of pollution in the environment. Sampling was done using grab method. Samples were subjected to Liquid-liquid extraction using ethylacetate /dichloromethane mixture (1:1) and clean-up on silica gel adsorbents. The detection and determination of the pesticide residues were performed using Gas-Chromatographic technique (GC-MS) coupled with MSD. The results obtained revealed that DDD one of the metabolites of DDT showed the highest mean concentration levels of 1.002µg/L with a percentage distribution of 27.32%. The next most abundant detectable residues was DDE detected in fifteen samples with a mean concentration of 0.927µg/L and a percentage distribution of 25.41% γ-HCH was detected in eighteen samples with a mean concentration of 0.896µg/L and a percentage distribution of 24.59%. DDT has a mean concentration of 0.894µg/L and a percentage distribution of 24.32%. Among the organophosphorus, chlorpyriphos showed the highest mean concentration of 1.073µg/L measuring a total of 69.05% of the detectable residues. Methylparathion was the next abundant organophosphorus with a mean concentration of 0.162µg/L and a percentage distribution of 10.32%. Among the residues, water samples were found to be more contaminated by organochlorine pesticide residues than the organophosphorus residues. Generally the mean concentration levels of individual pesticide detected in the samples are higher than the WHO maximum limits indicating a possible pollution of the water environment by the agricultural activities.