Assessment of Pesticide Residues in Some Commonly Cultivated Vegetables in Doma Metropolis, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Commonly cultivated vegetables (Amaranthus hybridus, and Corchorus olitorius) in Doma and environs were analyzed to determine the residual level of pesticide. The samples extracts were subjected to High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) using Acetonitrile, Anhydrous MgSO4, NaCl and Ultrapure water used as mobile phase. Data obtained were analyzed using Minitab 16.0.The following tests were applied: Chi square test of association, Mann Whitney U-test of comparing two non parametric systems, Kruskal Wallice H-test and the Independent t-test of significance. All hypotheses were tested at 95% level of significance. Analysis showed highest concentrations residual level of Cypermethrin in the Doma wet Corchorus olitorius sample at 2240.94mg/L with no traces in Igbabo sample. For the dry Corchorus olitorius sample, highest value was recorded in Doma (61.046mg/l) while Igbabo sample showed the lowest (9.285mg/l). The highest residual value (226.39mg/l.) of Cypermethrin in Amaranthus hybridus appeared at Igbabo with the lowest (12.18mg/l) in Alwaza Lamda Cyhalothrin, Alwaza wet Corchorus olitorius sample recorded highest value of 0.00593mg/l with lowest value (0.00058mg/l) in Doma. Dry sample jute recorded highest (0.0159mg/l) in Igbabo; lowest value (0.0002mg/l) in Doma. In spinach samples, the highest value (0.00171mg/l) appeared in Alwaza while igbabo (0.00051mg/l) recorded the lowest. The results showed that Cypermethrin values were well above the Japan Research Foundation MRLs of 0.03mg/l. This has serious implications on the consumers of the vegetables cultivated in the study area. However, for Lamda Cyhalothrin residues results occurred on levels well below MRLs of 0.5mg/l.