Prioritization of Applied Pesticides in Ethiopia for Routine Chemical Surveillance Based on Environmental Mobility, Usage Quantity, and Non-Communicable Diseases Effect

Ethiopia is one of the largest users of pesticides in East Africa for agricultural and other purposes. Pesticides provide benefits such as protecting crops from losses, maximizing yields, and controlling vectors. However, if not properly managed or controlled, pesticides can create environmental and public health risks like ocular, dermal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, carcinogenic, endocrine-disrupting (hormonal), developmental (reproductive), neurological (mental), mutagenic (genetic mutation), and respiratory effects. The aim of the study was to identify and prioritize pesticides for routine public health surveillance in Ethiopia using a multi-index approach. This ranking technique is based on current pesticide use (Quantity Index or QI), mobility in the environment (Environmental Exposure Potential or EEP), and acute and chronic health risks (Toxicity Potential or TP, and Hazard Potential or HP). Pesticide use and data on physicochemical and toxicity were used to prioritize pesticides for human health risk. Four indices were used for prioritization. The Quantity Index (QI) ranked pesticides by their use quantity. The Toxicity Potential Index (TP) ranked pesticides based on scores from five health effects: endocrine disruption, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, mutagenicity, and neurotoxicity. The Hazard Potential Index (HP) was calculated by multiplying the TP by an environmental exposure potential score determined by the GUS index for each pesticide. The Weighted Hazard Potential (WHP) multiplied the HP by the ratio of a pesticides use to the total use of all pesticides in the country. The highest scoring numbers for each effect—cancer, mutagenicity, endocrine disruption, teratogenicity, and neurotoxicity—were used for prioritization. The quantity of 2, 4-D pesticide was very high across all QI, TP, HP, and WHP, whereas permethrin was the only pesticide with a higher TP value and a high risk to human beings for carcinogenicity, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, teratogenicity, and neurotoxicity or mental effects. Folpet pesticide was the highest risk for human beings from Mutagenicity or Genetic mutation effect. Endosulfan and Flutriafol pesticides had the highest GUS values, which mean the highest mobility potential and risk to groundwater. This prioritization can be useful to inform the level of pesticides, develop monitoring programs, identify priority areas for management interventions, investigate optimal mitigation strategies, and estimate the human and environmental risks at a national level.