Quantification of pesticide dosage and determinants of excessive pesticide use in smallholder vegetable production systems in Tanzania.

The use of pesticides for diseases and insect pest control has become a key component in smallholder vegetable production. This study therefore quantified the concentration of pesticide active ingredient per unit production land (kg a.i/ha), and drivers of increased pesticide use in smallholder vegetable production systems in Tanzania.

State of nano pesticides application in smallholder agriculture production systems: Human and environmental exposure risk perspectives.

Due to the intensive and widespread use of agrochemicals, especially pesticides, agriculture in the majority of the world is in dire need of practical improvements to fulfil the rising need for food while at the same time decreasing its associated health and environmental impact. Traditional methods, such as integrated pest control, have been used extensively and globally for decades to lessen the effects of intensive and extensive pesticide use, but they are insufficient. Safer pesticide alternatives, including biopesticides, to replace conventional pesticides have also been developed, but these efforts have not yet reached the necessary degree of operationalization and commercialization.

Co-exposure risks of pesticides residues and bacterial contamination in fresh fruits and vegetables under smallholder horticultural production systems in Tanzania.

This study was carried out to investigate the risks of simultaneous exposure to pesticide residues and bacteria contaminants in locally produced fresh vegetables and vegetables in Tanzania. A total of 613 samples were analyzed for pesticide residues, out of which 250 were also analyzed for bacterial contamination. Overall, 47.

Pesticide exposure and genotoxic effects as measured by DNA damage and human monitoring biomarkers.

Occupational pesticides exposure rises health concern due to genotoxicity and accumulation of pesticides in human biological matrices. Continuous and sublethal exposure to pesticides had been associated with oxidative stress, mutagenic and cell death. Exposure to pesticides exhibits increased level of DNA damage even if no detectable amounts of pesticides are seen in biological matrices by binding specific areas in the DNA.

Biomonitoring of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) Activity among Smallholder Horticultural Farmers Occupationally Exposed to Mixtures of Pesticides in Tanzania.

Biomonitoring of pesticides exposure has currently become a matter of great public concern due to the potential health effects of pesticides. This study assessed levels of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and associated health effects in uncontrolled smallholder farming systems in rural Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted of 90 exposed farmers and 61 nonexposed controls from horticultural zones.