Pesticide Analytical Laboratory

 

The Pesticide Analytical Laboratory plays a vital support role in furthering the pesticide impact research programme. The Laboratory is regularly involved in developing new analytical methods for quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Although some projects generate semi-routine work by virtue of the large numbers of samples requiring analyses, the Laboratory is geared for research type analyses of water, sediment, soil, and plant material for residues of a wide range of pesticides. Confirmation of the identities of pesticide residues in air, soil, water, plant material, animal material, foods and feeds by GC-MS is also done.

The Pesticide Analytical Laboratory is committed to the provision of high quality research services. The analytical laboratory’s capability has enabled research to expand on pesticide risk to human health substances in the environment, involving the analysis of human breast milk, for presence of pyrethroid and organochlorine pesticide content. The latter are pesticides used in malaria vector control. Experience has been gained in assisting farmers resolve agricultural pesticide problems by analyses of contaminated soil and water and interpreting the data. In short, the Pesticide Analytical Laboratory can provide the following:

• Qualitative and quantitative analysis of pesticide residues in soil, sediment, water, foods, and feeds, and in plant and animal material (research based)

• GC-MS confirmation of pesticide in the various matrixes

• Development of new methods for pesticide residue analyses