Abstract 5740: Gauging the awareness and safety practices regarding herbicide usage, toxicity and cancer prognosis among agrarian communities in rural Zaria, Nigeria

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Ill.), 2020-08, Vol.80 (16_Supplement), p.5740-5740
• Main Authors: Liman, Mubarak L., Alhassan, Alhassan M., Ejike, Uju D., Walliyullah, Yusuf, Bashir, Mohammed, Samaila, Danazumi, Ishaq, Jibril B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445
• DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.AM2020-5740

Farming is the mainstay occupation in Northern Nigeria and a recent government policy for revamping of agriculture in Nigeria have prompted the use of more fertilizers and pesticides for higher yields. Of note, was the rise in the use of herbicides which is seen as an innovative and easier approach for controlling weeds and other grass pests. Inappropriate application and non-compliance to safety instructions for usage of pesticides are however common in rural communities of the developing world who often already had disproportionate health disparities. Few studies investigated the association of pesticides toxicity with cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NCD) in subsistence agriculture of rural communities. This study aims to gauge the farmers' safe usage of herbicides and investigate the associated toxicity challenge with respect to cancer prognosis among the agrarian communities of rural Zaria in northern Nigeria. Preliminary data was collected by purposive cluster sampling, conducting face-to-face interviews. Samples of identified commonly used herbicides, water from major irrigation rivers and valleys as well as cultivated vegetables were also collected and sent to the Mycotoxin and Pesticides Laboratory of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria for determination of their glyphosate contents; a common bioactive chemical in herbicides. The findings reveal that more than half of the respondents (77%) own only small farms (