ABSTRACT
Community-based monitoring was initiated in Ngarenanyuki, Tanzania, to study the impacts of pesticides on health and the environment. Twenty-five Ngarenanyuki community representatives were trained to monitor such impacts and to reduce the risks. Data collection tools were then developed and pretested at Mlangarini, training was conducted through seminars and public meetings, pesticide monitoring teams were established, and data were collected. Monitoring showed the use of Class 1b (chlorfenvinphos) and obsolete pesticides such as dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), that pesticides were both available and affordable to farmers, and that more than three pesticides were often mixed per application. Two-thirds of the farmers showed pesticide poisoning, with cypermethrin–profenofos mixture and profenofos being the most prevalent. Observation revealed such symptoms as skin and eye irritation. This initiative helped farmers to assess their own pesticide health risks and to develop action plans.
