| Objectives:This research is one component of the research project entitled "Using ecosystem approach to reduce pesticide use and its health and environment impact in a County, Yunnan Province, China ", which is part of an international collaborative project entitled "Field Building Leadership Initiative:Advancing EcoHealth in Southeast Asia" funded by IDRC. The objectives include:Investigating residues of organophosphate and carbamate pesticide in vegetables in a county of Yunnan Province, and analyzing the underlying causes of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticide residues so as to inform the planning of interventions that are aiming at reducing pesticide use, promoting food safety, human health and environmental sustainability.Methods:This study adopted qualitative and quantitative research methods, which included questionnaire survey and interview.We Interviewed the following stakeholders:officials in the county agricultural department, pesticide dealers, foreign pesticide company salesman, and farmers. We also conducted questionnaire survey in six villages of three townships, in which424farmer families were investigated by using a questionnaire and vegetable samples that are prepared for self-consuming of those farmer households were collected. We used PR-12N rapid detection Instrument of pesticide residues to detect organophosphate and carbamate pesticide residues in those vegetable samples.Results:The effective questionnaire was417out of the total424questionnaires, and the effective rate of the questionnaire survey is98.35%. Out of the417households, we were able to collect vegetable samples from337households, accounting for80.82%of the total households. Among the337households, we identified positive vegetable samples from50households, accounting for14.84%of the total households.We collected766vegetable samples in total, of which61samples are positive for organophosphate and carbamate pesticide residues, and the positive rate was7.96%.There are in total557vegetable samples collected from farmer household plots, of which,34samples are positive and the positive rate is6.10%; the total number of vegetable samples grown in farmer field for selling are51, of which,7samples are positive and the positive rate is13.73%; the total number of vegetable samples brought from market are158, of which,20are positive and the positive rate is12.66%.The vegetable samples brought from market has higher positive rate than vegetable samples collected from household plots.According to the specific location of farmer household plots, the vegetable samples from those household plots are divided into three categories:the first category of household plots is close to farm fields,202vegetable samples are from those plots, of which,15samples are positive and the positive rate is7.43%;the second category of household plots is located in farmers’courtyards,84vegetable samples are from those plots, of which,4samples are positive and the positive rate is4.76%; the third category of household plots is located in some land that has some distance with farmer fields,271vegetable samples are from those plots, of which,15samples are positive and the positive rate is5.54%.31.18%respondents reported that they used at least one of prohibited pesticides in last year. Of which, Chlordimeform ranked number one that is followed by Methamidophos, Carbofuran, Omethoate, and Fonofos.Conclusion:Most vegetables consumed by local farmers are self-growing in own household plots, vegetables brought from market takes certain proportion and the vegetables grown for selling takes the least proportion. All three categories of vegetable samples have been detected some positive samples, and the vegetable samples brought from market has higher positive rate than vegetable samples from household plots.It is showed that because of the impact of the widespread use of pesticides in the environment, farmers’ self protection has limited effect.Farmers lack the knowledge of pesticides, and pesticide abuse is common. Some framers still use banned pesticides. Merely issuing a policy cannot stop farmers using prohibited pesticides. Regulation need to be strengthened and comprehensive measures need to be taken in order to completely stop the using of prohibited pesticides. |
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