IJSRSET173420 | Received : 02 July 2017 | Accepted : 12 July- 2017 | July-August-2017 [(3)5: 91-99] © 2017 IJSRSET | Volume 3 | Issue 5 | Print ISSN: 2395-1990 | Online ISSN : 2394-4099 Themed Section: Engineering and Technology 91 Occurrence and Distribution of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Water and Soil Samples from Kargi Area, Marsabit County, Kenya Vincent O. Madadi Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, College of Biological and Physical Sciences, University of Nairobi, P. O. Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. ABSTRACT This work investigated organochlorine pesticides residue levels in water and soil from Kargi area of Marsabit County, Northern Kenya. The population of Kargi has experienced high incidences of ill health conditions associated with environmental factors which has raised public concern and interest to delineate the causes. Several organic and inorganic compounds are known to cause toxicity to human health when they occur at high levels in environment, especially pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polyaromatic hydrocharbons, polychlorinated dibenzo-paradioxins/furans among other organics. Inorganic chemical of concern in water include arsenic, nitrites and fluorides. The main objective of this study was to determine whether pesticides contamination in water and soil could be contributing to ill health conditions in Kargi area. We focused on organochlorine pesticides due to the fact that these were widely applied in Kenyan environment in the past, particularly in agriculture and desert locust control leading to high environmental prevalence, obsolete stocks and contaminated soils. We collected water samples in 2.5 L amber glass bottles, whereas soil was collected in aluminum foil and packed in ziplock bags. After extraction and cleanup, pesticide residues were analysed using Agilent 6890N gas chromatograph equipped with a micro-electron capture detector. Pesticide residues in water ranged from <0.001-3.370 μg/L and from <0.001- 17.141μg/kg in soil. The residues in soils were approximately ten times higher than the levels measured in water. Pesticide residues detected in water samples were well below the WHO maximum limits and also below the background levels detected in other parts of the country. Therefore the residues levels measured in water and soil samples in this study could not be associated to the high incidences of ill health and cancer experienced in the region. Further sampling to compare levels in wet and dry seasons could help to establish environmental effect on water contamination. Keywords: Marsabit, Kargi, Soil & Water quality, organochlorine pesticides residues, environmental health I. INTRODUCTION Pesticides have not only contributed to improving quality of life and food production 1 , but also negatively affected environment and human wellbeing due to contamination and side effects to non-target organisms. In tropical countries, the hot and humid environmental conditions experienced promote development of a myriad pests and disease vectors. Therefore, economic management of crops and livestock as well as public health vector control heavily depends on use of pesticides. However, continuous application of these chemicals coupled with weak environmental management in most developing countries not only results into soil, water and air contamination but also affect other living organisms. 1 Currently agricultural and public health use of most persistent pesticides has been banned, however this has occurred after a long- term buildup of large stocks of obsolete pesticides and contaminated soils. The presence of a diverse range persistent pesticide residues in the water bodies is of concern due to their ability to bio-concentrate and bio- accumulate in the food chain, and the resulting long- term impact on ecosystem integrity. Pesticide residues have been reported widely in the global environment. 2-16 In addition a number of simulation studies and field