Assessment of selected pesticide contamination of surface and ground water samples from an agrarian settlement in Kuje area council, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aimed at evaluating the presence and levels of some selected pesticides in both surface and ground water in an agrarian settlement in Kuje area council, Abuja, Nigeria. Samples of water were collected from three areas in Kuje, Abuja, Nigeria namely: Gaube, Kasada and Pasali. The water samples were obtained from borehole, well and stream sources in triplicate. Dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, and turbidity were the physicochemical parameters determined in the water samples. Five (5) pesticides namely: Lambda-cyhalothrin, Chlorpyrifos, Glyphosate, Dichlorvos and Cypermethrin were investigated using highperformance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The findings from the study show that pH values were between 5.70±0.30 and 7.82±0.12, electrical conductivity ranged from 61.31±38.41 to 242.81±1.40 μS/cm, dissolved oxygen 5.58±0.69 to 6.40±2.15 mg/L and turbidity values ranged from 1.42±0.51 to 143.11±11.03 NTU. Lambda-cyhalothrin levels were from 0.06±0.00 to 80.30±138.31μg/L, Chlorpyrifos ranged from 139.99±69.07 to 243.49±197.94 μg/L, the concentrations of Dichlorvos were found to be between 86.65±667.12 and 131.22±3.20 μg/L, Glyphosate and Cypermethrin were not detected in any of the samples tested. Lambda-cyhalothrin correlated positively with Dichlorvos (0.721) and Chlorpyrifos (0.951) in stream water sample from Pasali at p<0.05. The concentrations of the three pesticides exceeded the permissible limit except for the Lambda-cyhalothrin in stream water sample from Pasali and this calls for worry because of the potential adverse effects these could cause the residents of Kuje that continuously use and consume water from these sources.