Assessment of Pesticide Residues in Tomatoes from the Marketgardening Area of Mountougoula, Mali

In Mali, the excessive and uncontrolled use of pesticides in agriculture poses a threat to public health and the environment. Marketgarden crops, particularly tomatoes, are particularly affected. This work aims to assess the impact of pesticide use in tomato production in the Mountougoula marketgarden area bygeolocating the site's sampling points and determining the concentration of pesticide residues in the tomatoes produced. Thirty (30) tomato samples were randomly collected from different points in the marketgarden area. The residue extraction was carried out using the QuEChERS method (NF EN 15662: 2009), followed by analysis bygas chromatography coupled with an electron capture detector (GC-µECD). A total of 5 different pesticides were detected in the tested tomato samples belonging to classes of insecticides: an organochlorine (Acetamiprid), an organophosphate (Chlorpyrifos) and three pyrethroids (Lambda-Cyhalothrin, Cypermethrin and Deltamethrin). Pesticide residues were detected in 11 (36.66%) samples and 19 (63.33%) samples showed no pesticides quantification. Regarding pesticide residues level, it was found that out of 11 samples contaminated, 8 (26.6%) samples showed pesticide residues higher than MRLs. The absence of quantifiable residues in the majority of samples is encouraging. However, the presence of residues above the tolerated limits in more than a third of the samples highlights the need for better supervision of producers in order to prevent health risks linked to chronic exposure to pesticides.