Assessment of the Risks and Health Hazard Involved in the Use of Agrochemical among Vegetable Farmers in Jama’are River Basin of Jama’are Local Government Area of Bauchi State

The objective of this research is to access the risks and health hazards associated with the use of agrochemicals in the cultivation of vegetables by farmers in the Jama’are River Basin in Jama’are Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria. The survey inferential design research design was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling technique was employed for the selection of the study villages, while simple random sampling technique was used in selecting thirty households. The study household inclusion criteria were farming, use of agrochemicals and willingness to participate in the study. A total of 30 households from the selected villages were sampled for the study. The number of selected households varied between villages because of differences in populations and number of people involved in vegetative farming activities. Data for the study were collected through the use of structured interview schedule. The information collected included respondent’s socio-demographic variables, uses of agrochemicals, sources of information on the use of agrochemicals, their perception and effects of agrochemicals on human health. Data collected for the study were arranged, coded and analyzed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistical tools such as frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Findings indicated that poor educational background could partly contribute to the major health effects recorded in the area since 26.7% of the farmers were primary school leavers and up to 40% of them had no formal education who might not be able to read or understand agrochemicals labeling and instructions on use since are written in English..The study also revealed poor awareness (77 %) regarding the harmful effects of agrochemicals among the farmers. The practice of mixing agrochemicals with bare hand (73.3%), throwing away of containers (63.3%), using containers for household purposes (56.7%) and the assumption that agrochemicals won’t do anything (50%) appears to be widely prevalent in the study villages. The implication is that there will be serious side effects of agrochemicals in the area since they have direct contact with the chemicals. Despite adequate awareness of safe agrochemicals management by agrochemicals vendor and extension agents, most of the spray-workers were observed to be reluctant to put this knowledge into practice. Only spraying chemicals which should not be directed towards the direction of air (M = 4.07) and bath immediately after spraying of chemicals (M = 4.00) were considered as important precautionary measures against the use agrochemicals. Most of the farmers experienced loss of appetite (90%), dizziness (70%), body itching (66.7%), headache (56.7%) and difficulty in breathing (53.3%) more often following the use of agrochemicals on their farms. Improvement on educating farmers on the use of agrochemicals in appropriate, less risk-related methods, side effects associated with the use of agrochemicals, dangerous habits associated with health risks and the importance of protective measures of agrochemicals especially personal protection equipment and strict laws on the purchase and use of agrochemicals in farming communities should be put in place so as to reduce exposure of farmers and passive individuals to agrochemicals.