Abstract
The present study was conducted to assess the contamination and health risk due to the presence of pesticides in fruits and vegetables. A total of six vegetable samples, 3 fruit samples, 7 soil samples, and 6 water samples were collected from three different sampling points. High-performance liquid chromatography using acetonitrile and water solvent system was employed for the quantitative and qualitative analysis. The pesticides having the highest health risk in vegetables were Bifenthrin and Difenoconazole as their health risk index was found to be exceeding the cut off value of 1. Imidacloprid was found in all vegetable samples but had no associated health risk, as all the health risk indices for imidacloprid were below the cut off value of 1. The pesticide Glyphosate detected in only one sample had no health risk associated with it. Health risks in fruits were the highest for Amamectin, Bifenthrin, and Difenoconazole and were crossing the threshold limit of 1. The results reveal the health risk indices of Bifenthrin and Difenoconazole range from 7.8 to 12.46 in vegetables and from 2.704 to 30.454 in fruits, hence, posing a serious threat to human health. Amamectin, although detected in only fruit and water samples, had the highest health risk of 30.454. Imidacloprid and Glyphosate found in every fruit sample had no associated health risk. The results revealed the presence of pesticides in water, soil, fruit, and vegetable samples. Consumers utilizing these vegetables and fruits are under potential health risks due to the presence of pesticides in soil and water. Practical Applications. In this study, an analytical method for detecting pesticides in a variety of environmental matrices including fruits, vegetables, water, and the soil is presented and the health risk associated with the presence of pesticides in a wide range of fruits and vegetables is assessed. It is highly significant because in developing countries agricultural activities contribute majorly toward the total gross domestic product and pesticides are extensively used to control, prevent, devastate, and diminish any harmful pest that destroys crops.
Highlights
Economic growth and development is largely dependent upon agriculture
According to the results obtained, six pesticides were detected in different samples of fruits, vegetables, soil, and water
Conclusions and Recommendations e use of pesticides has greatly enhanced agricultural production. This is only one side of the coin; the other side showed that the presence of these pesticides has resulted in serious threats to human health and the environment
Summary
Economic growth and development is largely dependent upon agriculture. It is the main source of living and income in rural areas and it ensures the availability of food in rural and urban populations. According to the World Health Organization, fruits and vegetables are the most commonly consumed food group, and on average, 30% of food consumption is based on fruits and vegetables. Because fruit and vegetables are primarily consumed raw or semiprocessed, it is expected that they contain higher amounts of pesticide residue levels in comparison to other food groups of plant origin, such as bread and other foodstuffs based on cereal processing [4]
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