Sodiq Ojuroungbe
Due to the indiscriminate and improper use of pesticides in food processing, public health and food safety, experts have called for robust policy measures to address the issue
They stressed the critical role of government intervention in enforcing existing regulations and ensuring compliance with bans on the open sale of hazardous chemicals like sniper.
Recently, a disturbing video surfaced on social media showing a trader using Sniper, a highly toxic pesticide, to preserve stockfish by applying it directly.
The video created apprehension and sparked debates regarding the potential health risks associated with the misuse of such toxic chemicals.
Reacting to the video, public health physicians in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise said the highly toxic nature of the pesticide poses severe health risks to consumers, with potential adverse effects ranging from nausea and vomiting to long-term organ damage and even cancer.
Emphasising the urgent need for decisive action to address this hazardous practice and prevent further endangerment of public health, the experts called for stricter enforcement of regulations governing the sale and use of pesticides like Sniper.
A Consultant Public Health Physician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Professor Tanimola Akande, warned that people who consume food items contaminated with harmful chemicals may experience symptoms ranging from respiratory distress to neurological disorders.
Professor Tanimola Akande
The Professor of Public Health, while stressing the importance of identifying trusted sources for food products to minimise exposure to contaminated items, called for stricter enforcement measures and increased public awareness campaigns to educate consumers and discourage the use of pesticides in food preservation.
Tanimola noted that there is a need for enhanced surveillance and monitoring by government agencies, including the Inspectorate Unit of Veterinary Services and Environmental Health Officials.
He urged the government to provide these authorities with the necessary resources and tools to identify and address cases of pesticide contamination effectively.
The don added, “Snipers and other pesticides are hazardous to humans when consumed or when in close contact. It can cause nausea, vomiting, headache excessive salivation and in high doses, can lead to convulsion, respiratory distress, loss of consciousness and death.
“Long-term exposure can lead to chronic respiratory diseases and neurological diseases such as loss of memory, depression and also anxiety.”
On how to identify contaminated food items, he explained, “The physical appearance of the skin of such fish will be different from the normal one.
“Fish that is not dead but contaminated with sniper is usually sluggish, lethargic and may rapidly come to the water surface gasping for air. It is important to identify trusted sources or sellers for food products.
“Sometimes it can be difficult to easily identify food products contaminated with pesticides.
“The inspectorate unit of veterinary services and environmental health officials need to do their work diligently and be provided with the necessary tools by the government to do this.
“Individuals should also report suspected cases to the appropriate authorities. Government and other relevant organisations should regularly educate the public through various mass media. Traders and suppliers should take the safety of their customers as a priority.”
On his part, a Senior Registrar in the Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr Solomon Olorunfemi emphasised the urgent need for measures to curb the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
Dr Solomon Olorunfemi
He pointed out the negative health impacts associated with the use of snipers, ranging from common symptoms like nausea and vomiting to more severe long-term effects like organ damage and the development of cancer.
Olorunfemi stressed the need to take action to control the widespread and uncontrolled application of pesticides.
The physician urged stakeholders at all levels, including farmers, traders, and suppliers, to prioritise food safety and adopt the best practices to minimise the risks associated with pesticide use.
He also called for a collaborative effort involving government agencies, healthcare professionals, and the public to tackle the misuse of pesticides and safeguard public health.
He maintained that taking proactive measures can help to address the issue and ensure the safety and well-being of consumers across the country.
“It is important to establish that sniper as a chemical was originally designed to control pests, in other words, it is designed for agro-activities. However, farmers and other users, especially food vendors, fish vendors and butchers have gone the other way around to use this to suit their purpose without considering the adverse health effects it can have on the general public.
“There are lots of adverse effects pesticides can have on humans. In the short term, it can result in nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and abdominal pain. Over a long time, it can affect the vital organs in the body like the brain, kidney, liver and even the heart. Cancer could be one of the long-term effects of this unfriendly chemical in the human population.
“I will advise people to stop poisoning or treating water with those adverse chemicals. Those chemicals can destroy aquatic life by using snipers to kill fish. Most of these users are not aware of the dangerous outcome because they believe the act will give them quick results without being aware of the health implications.
“I will advise individuals who know the implications and those who are doing it out of ignorance to please desist from polluting water with chemicals that can immediately provide them with their desires but will in future, cause damage to human health.”
He further cautioned, “The agriculturist, who uses pesticides for agricultural purposes should also be them with caution such that in the process of application, they should adopt some safety measures, which include the use of personal protective equipment, hand gloves, facemasks, among others.
“All these will prevent skin contamination, respiratory contamination and all. The health risk is wide, starting from skin irritation to other discomfort. It can affect the respiratory system causing cough, and respiratory distress.
“It can also cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. These chemicals can affect the heart and also poison the blood.
“All hands should be on deck; everyone has a role to play. Every stakeholder should be involved in providing measures. At the individual level, people should stop using those chemicals to preserve food products because they are deadly.
“Government should swing into action; agencies, ministry of health, environment and agriculture have to rise and address the issue by raising awareness to combat this.
“It is important that NAFDAC do something. I know that NAFDAC made a policy to prohibit the importation of those chemicals and their like into the country. The use of sniper has been banned from open sale, but it is unfortunate that we still see those chemicals in the supermarket. What is required is that the law that was enacted be enforced. Any law not enforced is lifeless. Follow-up should be done.”
PUNCH Healthwise had earlier reported that health experts warned food commodities traders, especially those selling dried fish against using insecticides and pesticides to stop flies from perching on them.
They described the act as a dangerous practice that may predispose consumers to health complications and in a worst-case scenario, instant death when consumed in excess.
Referencing rising cases of cancer and kidney diseases among Nigerians, the experts said it may not be unconnected to the consumption of food items heavily laced with dangerous contaminants like mycotoxins.
They noted that long exposure to such chemical compounds can damage vital organs in the body and may lead to poor treatment outcomes for those with underlying health conditions.
Also, in a 2021 article published in an online journal, ResearchGate titled, ‘Preservative chemicals as a new health risk related to traditional medicine markets in western Africa’, the authors said sniper is an organophosphate insecticide that has been banned in the European Union and is classified as “highly hazardous” (class IB) by the World Health Organisation.
“Sniper contains Dichlorvos (DDVP), a molecule of acute toxicity if swallowed, inhaled, or in contact with skin, and possibly carcinogenic for humans.
“ With a probable lethal oral dose of 50–500 mg/kg and the estimated half-life of 20–23 days as measured from treated wheat shipments, Sniper represents a serious threat to humans regularly in contact with the molecule”, the authors warned.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: health_wise@punchng.com
The post Experts advocate tough measures as defiant traders use pesticides to preserve fish appeared first on Healthwise.