Pesticide usage practices as sources of occupational exposure and health impacts on horticultural farmers in Meru County, Kenya.

This study assessed pesticide usage practices, knowledge and health effects of pesticides through occupational exposure in randomly selected horticultural farmers in Imenti North, Imenti South and Buuri Sub-counties in Meru, Kenya, where horticultural crops are grown intensively for export and local consumption. The study was done through use of questionnaire distributed to farmers' households, agricultural extension workers and health care workers. The survey established that various classes of pesticides were used in horticultural crop farming and animal production in all the three sub-counties, with the most frequently used (>60 respondents out of 173) being parathion, diazinon, dimethoate, permethrin, pirimiphos methyl, endrin, deltamethrin, dieldrin, propoxur and endosulfan.

Occurrence of pesticides residues in French beans, tomatoes, and kale in Kenya, and their human health risk indicators.

Residue levels of seven commonly used pesticides were determined in random samples of tomatoes, French beans, and kale collected from horticultural farms in Buuri, Imenti North, and Imenti South sub-counties in Meru, Kenya, just before delivery to the consumers. QuEChERS method for extraction followed by LC-MS/MS was used to determine the concentrations. The concentrations (μg kg wet weight) in French beans, kale, and tomatoes ranged from below detection limit (BDL): BDL-48.