Abstract
The use of passive sampling devices (PSDs) as an appropriate alternative to conventional methods of assessing human exposure to environmental toxicants was studied. One-time purposive sampling by a silicone wristband was used to measure insecticide residues in 35 volunteer pepper farmers in the Vea irrigation scheme in the Guinea savannah and the Weija irrigation scheme in the coastal savannah ecological zones of Ghana. A GC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for quantifying 18 insecticides used by farmers in Ghana. Limits of detection (LODs) and quantitation (LOQs) ranged from 0.64 to 67 and 2.2–222 ng per wristband, respectively. The selected insecticides showed a range of concentrations in the various silicone wristbands from not detected to 27 μg/wristband. The concentrations of 13 insecticides were above their LOQs. Chlorpyrifos had the highest detection frequencies and concentrations, followed by cyhalothrin and then allethrin. This study shows that silicone wristbands can be used to detect individual insecticide exposures, providing a valuable tool for future exposure studies. Ghanaian vegetable farmers are substantially exposed to insecticides. Hence, the use of appropriate personal protective equipment is recommended.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 117094 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Environmental Research |
| Volume | 237 |
| Early online date | 6 Sept 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Nov 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was funded by the Nuffic Fellowship Program (NFP), the Netherlands, with Grant no. CF 13183. We would like to sincerely thank all the farmers from the Vea and Weija irrigation schemes in Ghana who volunteered to participate in this study. All colleagues at the CSIR Water Research Institute and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, department of Environment and Health, are gratefully acknowledged for providing the study material for the validation studies.
Funding Information:
This study was funded by the Nuffic Fellowship Program (NFP), the Netherlands, with Grant no. CF 13183. We would like to sincerely thank all the farmers from the Vea and Weija irrigation schemes in Ghana who volunteered to participate in this study. All colleagues at the CSIR Water Research Institute and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, department of Environment and Health, are gratefully acknowledged for providing the study material for the validation studies.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
Funding
This study was funded by the Nuffic Fellowship Program (NFP), the Netherlands, with Grant no. CF 13183. We would like to sincerely thank all the farmers from the Vea and Weija irrigation schemes in Ghana who volunteered to participate in this study. All colleagues at the CSIR Water Research Institute and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, department of Environment and Health, are gratefully acknowledged for providing the study material for the validation studies. This study was funded by the Nuffic Fellowship Program (NFP), the Netherlands, with Grant no. CF 13183. We would like to sincerely thank all the farmers from the Vea and Weija irrigation schemes in Ghana who volunteered to participate in this study. All colleagues at the CSIR Water Research Institute and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, department of Environment and Health, are gratefully acknowledged for providing the study material for the validation studies.
Keywords
- Exposure
- Ghana
- Insecticides
- Personal sampler
- Vegetable farmers
- Wristband