Pesticide pollution in agricultural areas of Northern Vietnam: Case study in Hoang Liet and Minh Dai communes

Soils and agricultural products from the Red River basin in Northern Vietnam were reported to be contaminated by agrichemicals. To assess potential exposure of local farmers and consumers to these contaminants, pesticide use and management practices of local farmers were surveyed and residue concentrations were determined for recently used as well as for banned pesticides in water, soil, vegetables, and fish samples in two communes of Northern Vietnam. DDTs, HCHs, and Drin compounds still persist at relatively high concentrations in soil and occur in vegetable and fish samples. Recently used pesticides, such as fenobucarb, trichlorfon, cyfluthrin, and cypermethrin were detected in vegetable and fish samples. Thresholds for acceptable daily intake levels (ADI) were frequently reached in the analyzed food products pointing to the fact that current pesticide management practices do not only result in a pollution of the environment but also pose threats to human health.

► Pesticide use and residue concentrations in the environment and biota was investigated.
► Cypermethrin, trichlorfon, fenobucarb, cyfluthrin were frequently detected in biota.
► Acceptable daily intake (ADI) levels were repeatedly exceeded in fish and vegetables.
► Banned organochlorine pesticides still persist in the environment.
► Better information-sharing is required to improve farmers’ pesticide management.