Levels of endocrine disrupting organochlorine pesticides in herbal medicines from Bayelsa State, Nigeria: Any threat to public health?

Objectives Scientific data on the occurrence, distribution, risk and sources of endocrine disruption chemicals such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in herbal medicines (HMs) is rare in Nigeria. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the levels, risks and sources of OCPs in HMs from Bayelsa State, Nigeria to ascertain their safety. Methods Fifty HMs were obtained and analyzed for OCPs using a gas chromatograph combined with an electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Results The OCPs were detected in all the samples analyzed. The levels of & sum;20 OCPs in the HMs ranged from 12.0 to 128 ng L-1 for liquid HMs, 21.2-112 ng g(-1) for powder HMs and 26.0-72.7 ng g(-1) for capsule HMs. The levels of OCPs obtained in these HMs were below their respective maximum residue limits (MRLs). Aldrin, gamma-chlordane and beta-BHC were the dominant OCPs in the liquid, powder and capsule HMs respectively. The values of both cumulative non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for humans were < 1 and 1 x 10(-6) respectively suggesting that there are no potential health risks via the ingestion of the HMs. The source identification revealed that OCPs in the HMs originated from historical and recent use confirming that the residues of these endocrine-disrupting OCPs are in continuous applications despite being banned. Conclusion Although, the results generally indicated no current health risk implication to public consumption of the herbal medicines regarding OCP levels, however, we suggest a future risk assessment of susceptible groups, considering their concurrent exposure to all contaminants that have endocrine disrupting effects.