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Accra Metropolis is the major recipient of agricultural produce in Ghana, with almost the entire population depending on rural agricultural activities for subsistence. To increase agricultural produce, various forms of pesticides are normally used in fruits and vegetable farming. The consequence is that several cases of pesticide poisoning have been observed. In this preliminary study, a field survey was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and peoples’ perception concerning the use of pesticides by farmers in fruit production. The residual concentrations of selected pesticides in pawpaw, imported apples and tomato samples and the potential health risks associated with the exposure to these pesticides were also assessed. The field survey data indicated that more than 70% of the participants reported one or more poisoning upon fruits consumption resulting in pesticide-related illnesses. Pesticide residues in the various environmental samples were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). The results showed that, the levels of pesticide residues varied from |
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