Abstract

This study primarily investigates the prevalence of organophophates, organnochlorines and synthetic pyrethroids alongside physicochemical properties of five ponds and one earth dam water in Gella, Mubi South local government area of Adamawa State, Nigeria using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Among the organochlorines investigated in five ponds and one earth dam water, beta BHC has the least concentration (2.03×10-3 mg/L) in pond 2(Tangore 2 pond) and the highest concentration (78.811×103 mg/L) was aldrin in pond 4 (Girmana’a), trace amount of beta BHC in pond 5 (Kurbaca), dieldrinand heptachlor in pond 2, while heptachlor was not detected in earth dam and pond 3 (Majivua pond ), beta BHC was not detected in pond 1(Tangore 1 pond) and 3. All pesticides detected in present study were above maximum residue limits (MRL). Organophosphates has a least concentration of diazinon (0.290×10-3 mg/L) in pond 3 and a highest maximum concentration of chlopyrifos in pond 4(97.16× 10-3 mg/L), the maximum concentration of synthetic pyrethroid found was lambda cyhalothrin with a concentration of 92.001 × 10-3 mg/L) in pond 4 and the least concentration is deltamethrin (0.7645×10-3 mg/L) in pond 3, atrazine and deltamethrin were not detected in pond 1,4 and earth dam., 2,4-D was not detected in pond 2. The ponds and earth dam water samples of Gella were highly contaminated with pesticide residues and community are highly vulnerable to this pesticide pollution.