Determination of Pre-Harvest Interval, Pesticide Contamination and Consumer Awareness to Reduce Pesticide Residues in Vegetables: A Case Study in Local Market of Vavuniya, Sri Lanka | Chapter 1 | Challenging Issues on Environment and Earth Science Vol. 9

 Pesticides are used to kill pests, but they are also dangerous to humans. Pesticide contamination is detected using a variety of methods, and the pesticide's residual effect is reduced as a result of customer knowledge. The goal of this study was to identify pesticide residues in various vegetables based on their scent and appearance. In the Vavuniya local market, sniff and chop and smelling methods were employed to minimise pesticide residues, especially in leafy vegetables, and the efficiency of the water soaking method was measured. Pesticide residue was assessed by scent and appearance in a total of 160 samples collected at random from the local market. Different types of leafy vegetables were taken from organic farming fields and pesticides used farming fields for the chop and sniffing procedure. The leafy vegetable samples were cut and maintained for 15 minutes in sealed containers. Selected consumers in the vicinity were used to sniff out the contaminations. Consumers estimated pesticide contamination on an hourly basis by smell after thoroughly washing selected samples soaking in water for 1–3 hours. The acquired data was examined in SPSS using descriptive statistics (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). To combat the bug, all farmers rely on pesticides. Pesticide residue was found in high concentrations in 85% of the sample veggies, as determined by smell and sight. Approximately 60% of the farmers harvested their crops within one week following pesticide treatment. Before cooking, customers used the chop and sniff approach to detect pesticide contamination in leafy vegetables. Pesticide residue was reduced by soaking vegetables in water for 1-2 hours and properly washing them before preparing foods, as well as avoiding pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables by observing their appearance and scent. Pesticides were not detected in veggies that had been soaked in water for three hours, according to 74% of customers. This study suggests that farmers and consumers be educated about the indiscriminate use of pesticides and their long-term impacts, as well as how to identify pesticide-free vegetables in the market and how to eliminate pesticide residue before cooking to avoid health risks.

Author(S) Details

S. Vijitharan
Department of Bio-Science, Faculty of Applied Science, Vavuniya Campus, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

P. Loganathan
Department of Bio-Science, Faculty of Applied Science, Vavuniya Campus, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

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