ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDE LEVELS IN IRRIGATION WATER OF THE GOLINGA DAM, TOLON DISTRICT GHANA

Abstract

Golinga irrigation scheme is one of the few schemes in the Northern Region of Ghana. In this paper, types and levels of Organochlorine pesticide residues in the dam water have been investigated. Water samples were taken at two intervals (before and after crop planting) during the 2012 farming season. Water samples were processed using a liquidliquid extraction method and gas chromatography equipped with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Twenty- one (21) different organochlorine residues were identified namely: αHCH (0.094 µg/g), β-HCH (0.21 µg/g), γ-HCH (0.109 µg/g), δ-HCH (0.23 µg/g), HCB (0.12 µg/g), Heptachlor (0.27 µg/g), Aldrin (0.25 µg/g), Cis-heptachlor epox (0.14 µg/g), Trans-heptachlor epox (0.080 µg/g), Trans-chlordane (0.123 µg/g), Cis-chlordane (0.076 µg/g), Trans-nonachlor (0.27 µg/g), Dieldrin (0.17 µg/g), Endrin (0.083 µg/g), O’P-DDE (0.15 µg/g), P’P-DDE (0.18 µg/g), O’P-DDD (0.36 µg/g), P’P-DDD (0.061 µg/g), O’PDDT (0.126 µg/g). P’P-DDT recorded highest concentration of 0.52 µg/g whiles mirex recorded the least of - 0.057 µg/g. All residues except mirex were above the WHO Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) for drinking water. These compounds in the dam pose serious health hazards to humans, aquatic life and irrigated crops thus usage of chemicals which result in pollution of the dam should be controlled.