Levels of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Soils of Selected Farmlands in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

In Nigeria, crop production is associated with wide application of agrochemicals like organochlorine pesticides of which these pesticides are also used around households for the treatment of lice and scabies. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to investigate the levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in soils of selected farmlands in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria using appropriate standard methods. Data obtained show that, of the twenty (20) organochlorine pesticides analyzed, three pesticides; β-benzene hexachloride (beta-BHC), γ-benzene hexachloride (gamma-BHC) also called Lindane or Gammalin-20), and γ-Chlordane (gamma-Chlordane), were most observed with values ranging from (12.70 – 21.43 μg/kg), (13.07 – 28.73 μg/kg), and 10.78 – 31.11 μg/kg), respectively. However, pesticide residues observed to be above Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) were β-BHC, γ-BHC (lindane or gammalin-20) and γ-Chlordane in Gaba 1 Farmlands, Gaba 2 Farmlands, Zuma 1 Farmlands, Zuma 1 Low-lying areas, Zuma 2 Farmlands and Zuma 2 Low-lying area soil samples. Action should be taken on the sale, use and mis-use of banned organochlorine pesticides on the FCT and by extension, in Nigeria.