title: Organochlorine pesticide contamination of foods in Africa: incidence and public health significance.
abstract: Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been used worldwide, particularly in Africa, for several decades. Although many are banned, several African countries still use OCPs especially for the prevention and control of malaria. OCPs are characterized by their bio-accumulation in the environment, especially in the food chain, where they find their way into the human body. Despite no clear epidemiological studies confirming hazardous effects of these chemicals on human health, many studies have reported positive associations between the use of OCPs and neurological and reproductive disorders, and cancer risk. There is a clear gap in published reports on OCPs in Africa and their potential health hazards. Thus, the aim of this review is to summarize the incidence of OCP contamination in various foods in Africa, to demonstrate the potential transmission of these chemicals to people and to discuss their possible health hazards.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Lesa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Wageh Sobhy
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Darwish
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikenaka
authors.forename: Shouta M M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Hazuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizukawa
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishizuka
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D015994:Incidence; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D010945:Plants, Edible; D011634:Public Health
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D010575:Pesticides