Assessment of pesticides handling Practices and Health and Environmental Impacts on Khat Growing Farmers: in Haro Maya Woreda, Eastern Ethiopia

Methods were designed to evaluate the handling practice and the effect of pesticides on environment and human health. The data were collected by participating mainly Khat growing farmers and further supported by interviewing health and agricultural professionals, field observation and focal group discussion with Khat chewers. 97.1 % of farmers used pesticides for pest control. The survey revealed that, 95.2% confirmed that they using DDT. The pesticide treated khat is harvested and consumed starting from the same day of treatment. Farmers were not taken measures while spraying whether children and other people are in the field or not. Majority of farmers i.e. 84.1% have no experience of taking bath, 42.85 % of farmers do not change clothes right after spraying; and 86.93% do not wash the contaminated clothe separately. Majority of farmers doesn't have knowledge about labelling, dosage and expiry date mentioned on pesticide container. Farmers used protective devices rarely, except 73.3% who used scarf to protect the uncomfortable smell of pesticides. Farmers store their pesticides where they sleep, where they eat, prepare their food, where the cattle feed, hut in the field. Majority of farmers experienced headache, dizziness, difficult to breathe and vomiting, itching or burning of different parts of body as the main symptom filling during application of pesticides. Liver case, kidney and stomach are the most common healthy problem realized; and significant number of farmers and health professionals are confident enough that, chewing of pesticides treated khat and unsafe use khat are the case. The care of for the environment is very low in that spray pesticides near water bodies like well water and ponds, disposing the leftover and empty pesticide containers in the field. Number of pollinating insects like, butterfly, and bee are decreasing. The care of livestock not to eat residue of Khat treated by pesticides and graze near treated was small.