Lambda cyhalothrin residue in oranges (Citrus sinensis) from Boamadumasi in Ejisu - Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
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Date
2015-03-03
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Abstract
Residues resulting from the use of pesticides on fruits are a major concern in many countries. However, the hazards to the health of humans can be minimized to a great extent if these residues are kept below their prescribed safety level. Thirty (30) orange farmers were interviewed on the types of insecticides they use. Five insecticides were found to be commonly used on oranges by the respondent farmers with Lambda cyhalothrin being the most commonly used followed by Dimethoate. In this study, levels of Lambda cyhalothrin insecticide residue in oranges from farms at Boamadumasi were investigated to establish the safety of the fruits for consumption based on the WHO maximum residue limit of 0.2 mg/kg for citrus fruits. The insecticide residues in samples were extracted and cleaned up from the blended epicarps and mesocarps with ethyl acetate and florisil respectively. The extracts were cleaned up (purified) by using florisil. 60% of acetonitrile, 20% methanol and 20% water mixture was used as the mobile phase for the HPLC analysis. A flow rate of 1.0 ml/min with UV detection set at 254 nm was employed at room temperature. Levels of Lambda cyhalothrin were declined considerably from day 0 (1hr) to day 21 after the insecticide application. Out of 24 samples of oranges analysed, 16 representing 66.67 % had some levels of lambda cyhalothrin although below W.H.O Maximum Residue Limit of 0.2 mg/kg. The residue levels detected in the oranges ranged from 0.005 mg/kg to 0.191 mg/kg.
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A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree In Environmental Science,