School of Environmental Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, 235, Harar, Ethiopia.
School of Environmental Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, 235, Harar, Ethiopia; School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia.
J Hazard Mater. 2024 Oct 5;478:135326. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135326. Epub 2024 Jul 25.
Despite the growing concerns about pesticide pollution, a comprehensive global understanding continues to be hampered by a lack of data from less developed countries. Ethiopia, being a typical agricultural country, is one of the top consumers of pesticides in sub-Saharan Africa. This study conducted a nationwide analysis to assess pesticide water pollution and human health risks in Ethiopia based on the available data. Additionally, the study evaluated the effectiveness of the Pesticide Risks in the Tropics for Man, Environment, and Trade (PRIMET) model, which is currently used for pesticide regulatory risk assessment in Ethiopia. The scoring approach was employed to map the site-specific pollution status based on clearly defined individual pesticide concentrations, excluding mixtures (n = 99). The pollution scores varied significantly among sites, with higher scores observed in the Rift Valley region. Acute and chronic health risks were identified for some commonly detected pesticides at their maximum concentrations. Epidemiological studies conducted in Ethiopia also demonstrated that pesticide exposure is associated with acute poisoning, respiratory health problems, neurobehavioral symptoms, and breast cancer. Furthermore, the study found that the existing regulatory framework likely underestimates pesticide risks in 35 % of the cases, raising concerns about the reliability of the PRIMET model in its current version. Overall, the results emphasize the need for increased attention to pesticide regulation and management in Ethiopia and other countries with similar scenarios, including regular monitoring, implementation of residue limits, post-application evaluations, and recalibration of the PRIMET model. This study provides valuable scientific information and insights into pesticide pollution and can serve as a baseline for ensuring agricultural and environmental sustainability.
尽管人们对农药污染的担忧日益增加，但由于欠发达国家缺乏数据，全球对这一问题的全面了解仍受到阻碍。埃塞俄比亚是一个典型的农业国家，也是撒哈拉以南非洲地区农药消费最高的国家之一。本研究利用现有数据，对埃塞俄比亚的农药水污染和人类健康风险进行了全国范围的分析。此外，本研究还评估了目前在埃塞俄比亚用于农药监管风险评估的热带农药风险对人类、环境和贸易（PRIMET）模型的有效性。该研究采用评分方法，根据明确界定的个别农药浓度（n=99）而非混合物，对特定地点的污染状况进行了地图绘制。污染评分在各地点之间差异显著，其中在裂谷地区得分较高。在最大浓度下，一些常见检测到的农药会产生急性和慢性健康风险。在埃塞俄比亚进行的流行病学研究也表明，农药暴露与急性中毒、呼吸健康问题、神经行为症状和乳腺癌有关。此外，研究发现，现有的监管框架可能低估了 35%案例中的农药风险，这让人对 PRIMET 模型在当前版本中的可靠性产生了担忧。总的来说，研究结果强调了埃塞俄比亚和其他类似情况下的国家需要更加关注农药监管和管理，包括定期监测、实施残留限量、施药后评估和 PRIMET 模型的重新校准。本研究为农药污染提供了有价值的科学信息和见解，可以作为确保农业和环境可持续性的基线。
