Pesticide Use in Bangladesh: A Review on Potential Impacts

Bangladesh is a densely populated agricultural country. A wide range of products of pesticides being used in Bangladesh is already considered a health and environmental concern by different international agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO). Excessive, irrational use of pesticides in agriculture, and lack of knowledge on pest management have caused widespread pesticide pollution which is now posing a substantial threat to the environment and local people. In this review, we assessed and analyzed previous literature systematically to map a complete scenario of pesticide pollution in Bangladesh, covering soil, water, and foods. Most of the previous studies indicated that soil, water, and different seasonal vegetables are contaminated with organophosphorus, pyrethroid, and exceeded the FAO/WHO maximum residual limits. Concentration of chlorpyriphos, malathion were found below the detection limit in soil samples. But water samples were found contaminated with chlorpyrifos, diazinon, malathion, carbaryl and carbofuran. Considered vegetable samples were adulterated with fenvalerate, quinalphos, cypermethrin, fenitrothion, dimethoate, parathion, linuron, phenthoate. Persistence of organochlorines in the environment is limited and meets the maximum residue level (MRLs). This study will help to depict the pesticide pollution status in the environmental matrices in recent years and to cut off the exacerbation of pesticide pollution. A proactive approach is essential to limit the pesticide pollution load in the environmental matrices.