THE USE OF AGROCHEMICALS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE HEALTH OF FARMERS IN NIGERIA

Authors

  • BS Anuoluwa Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Nigeria
  • VT Onilude Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Nigeria
  • IA Anuoluwa Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Nigeria
  • OE Johnson Department of Community Medicine, University of Uyo, Akwa-Ibom, Nigeria
  • NP Mathias Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Nigeria
  • S Simidu Department of Environmental Health Services, Redeemed Christian Church of God City, Ogun State, Nigeria

Keywords:

Pesticides, Fertilizers, Exposure Routes, Occupational Hazards, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Abstract

Background: The continuous loss of food, fibers, and other agricultural commodities in the farm world due to weed and pest diseases has created a lot of financial burden to the farm owners, contributing to food insecurity in Nigeria. To solve these agricultural problems, farmers have resorted to the use of agrochemicals to increase their production, a trend that poses a significant risk to public health. Sadly, the widespread use of these agrochemicals has remained unchecked, leading to contamination of the soil, water, and air, exposing the farmers to potentially toxic substances that negatively affect their health.

Objectives: This review examines the trends in the use of agrochemicals in Nigeria and the impact of these agrochemicals on farmers’ health.

Methods: Google Scholar, Web of Science, Springer Link, Wiley Online Library, and Mendeley were the scientific databases searched. The keywords searched for were "agrochemicals", "farmers", "exposure routes", "occupational hazards", "PPEs", "pesticides", “fertilizers”, and "farmers’ health”. About seventy-three literature were obtained and screened down to forty based on six criteria. 

Results: This review revealed the impact of agrochemical exposure on the health of farmers in Nigeria. It showed the common routes of exposure and the associated acute and chronic health effects. Case studies from Nigerian farming communities are discussed to underscore the severity of the issue.

Conclusion: While the use of agrochemicals has greatly increased the level of agricultural productivity and food security in Nigeria, it does pose serious health risks due to improper handling, unawareness, and lack of protection among farmers.

 

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Published

2025-07-04

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

All articles in the Journal of Environmental Management and Toxicology (JEMT) are licensed and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, and indicate if changes were made. See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/