title: Health risks associated with pesticide residues in sediments, fish, and plants from the Ouémé Valley in the Republic of Bénin.
abstract: To determine possible human and environmental health risks, organochlorine pesticide residues were determined in vegetables grown in floodplains along the Ouémé River near Lowé in Bénin. Testing of vegetables found 13 pesticides with ΣDDT, α-endosulfan, Σdrin, and lindane being most important. The same pesticides were also detected in plants eaten by bovine cattle, sheep, and herbivorous fish. Human pesticide intake by vegetable consumption was compared with tolerable daily intake (TDI) values reported by the World Health Organization. Pesticide intake by fish consumption was estimated from residue levels in whole fish collected from the Ouémé River in 2004 and reported earlier. Fish consumption does not pose a risk for human health, but consuming vegetables that contain pesticide residues may lead to exceedance of TDI values. Based on these findings, concerns are warranted, and more work is needed to understand the full exposure profile for the local population.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche en Biologie Appliquée (LARBA), Département de Génie de l'Environnement, Ecole Polytechnique d'Abomey-Calavi, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, 01 BP 2009, Bénin.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yehouenou A Pazou
authors.forename: Judicaël P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Azehoun
authors.forename: Patrick Edorh
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Aléodjrodo
authors.forename: Nico M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: van Straalen
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Hattum
authors.forename: Cornelis A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: van Gestel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001541:Benin; D002417:Cattle; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000633:toxicity*; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical