DOI: 10.5276/JSWTM.2016.

272

ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF USED PESTICIDE

CONTAINERS FROM FARM LANDS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

U. Ibrahim
Department of Agronomy,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Ibrusman2007@yahoo.com

A.A. Mukhtar
Department of Agronomy, Institute for Agricultural Research
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
yayaaishang95@gmail.com

F.B. Ibrahim
Department of Water Resources & Environmental Engineering,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
ummulbilkis@yahoo.co.uk

S.W.J. Lyocks
College of Agriculture, Division of Agricultural Colleges,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Nigeria
swjlyocks@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The fast growing demand in agricultural produce and increasing utilization of pesticides on
farmlands has introduced management problems of used pesticides containers in Nigeria. This
study was carried out to assess disposal and management options for used pesticide
containers from farm lands in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study also quantified the amount of
pesticide containers generated in the area and proposed appropriate disposal methods of these
pesticide containers in order to promote agricultural development and keep the environment
clean and safe. It was also estimated that by the year 2022 the quantity of used pesticides
containers used in the state would be up to 9 million containers. The study also revealed
problems faced by the farmers and suggested ways by which used pesticide containers can be
effectively managed in Nigeria.

Keywords: Pesticide containers, farmlands, disposal, Management, Nigeria

INTRODUCTION Environmental pollution arising from pesticide use in

Pesticide application has become an important component
of crop production in order to ensure profitable return from
the massive agricultural investment. There are inherent
dangers associated with the improper use of these pesticides.
agriculture is becoming of great concern especially with
continuous increase in farming and use of pesticides.
Improper disposal of pesticide containers is a major problem
which could lead to environmental pollution (Ibrahim et al.,
2011).

JOURNAL OF SOLID WASTE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT VOLUME 42, NO. 4 NOVEMBER 2016 272
 Pesticides are classified according to the type of pests they
control and under these classification schemes, the most
widely used are Insecticides, Fungicides, Herbicides and
Rodenticides (Mordi, 2011). Pesticides, though meant to
harm target pest can also harm humans and the environment
if not used correctly. Humans get exposed to pesticide
poisoning through inhalation, oral ingestion or dermal
exposure. Organophosphate pesticides for instance has been
found to cause organophosphate toxicity among agricultural,
industrial and pest control workers in the United States (Jaga
and Dharmani, 2003).
Disposal of pesticide packaging materials in Nigeria has
been grossly abused due to lack of proper enlightenment on
environmental hazard associated with improper disposal of
the pesticide containers. The farmers usually dispose the
container of these pesticides in a wrong way without
following the precautionary measures, which could lead to
environmental pollution. Majority of farmers have discovered
that pesticide containers are made of good quality plastic
material hence scavenge them and use them as water
containers or put them to other uses. This unfortunate practice
has led to accidental pesticide poisoning among some of the
farmers (Anonymous, 2010).
The disposal of un-used pesticides and its containers is a
problem in most countries of the world. It is even of greater
concern in developing countries because of lack of proper
solid waste management structure in place. Also, very little is
known about the hazard posed by the improper disposal of
used pesticides package material, moreover, people have not
been incited on the idea that the used pesticide container can
be recycled there by generating employment opportunity and
raw material for plastic industries.
Proper disposal procedure is essential in the safe use of
herbicide and it containers (Freed, 1983). The occurrence of
surplus pesticide and its containers can be attributed to over
estimation of the immediate need of the country, delay in
pesticide shipment, drought, personnel changes, deterioration
of the container during storage resulting in leaks and seepage,
breakdown in application equipment and changes in
agricultural policies that affect production of a particular crop
for which the pesticide and kits container has been imported.
These surpluses are usually disposed of in streams, rivers or
lakes leading to gross environmental pollution. Pesticide-
contaminated water poses a hazard to non-target organisms
such as plants, beneficial insects, fish and other aquatic life.
Studies have shown that pesticides disposal by incineration is
a good way to dispose pesticide and it containers (Kennedy,
et al., 1969), but this is applicable only when appropriate
facilities exist. A temperature of 900-1200oC is needed to be
maintained in an incinerator to ensure that the pesticides and
its containers are decomposed to simple inorganic molecules
such as carbon-dioxide and water. The practice of burning
pesticides and its containers in open fires does not produce
enough heat to decompose the pesticide and it container.
Instead the pesticide is liable to be vaporized and then drift
and contaminate other sites.
In developed countries, the agricultural chemical
companies have organized to form the Agricultural Container
Recycling Council (ACRC). These groups distribute
273 ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF USED PESTICIDE CONTAINERS FROM FARM LANDS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
educational materials to help with programme establishment,
provide contractor for granulating and transporting container
from site or farm to the recycler and also research and
approve end use product. Currently in the U.S.A. 48 states
have pesticide container recycling programmes and this
number is expected to grow and reach every part of the
country. In 2004, 7.9 Million pounds of containers were
recycled and collected through the Agricultural Container
Recycling Council.
In Nigeria, a similar strategy may be adopted for
collection and recycling of pesticide containers. However,
farm inputs like fertilizer may need to be given as incentives
for effective collection of the containers from the farmers.
Pesticides marketing companies may also be tasked with the
responsibility of retrieving all containers of pesticides they
supply. Downstream market such as plastic recyclers for the
pesticide containers can be sought and supplied with the
collected containers.
The fast growing demand in agricultural produce as well
as increasing utilization of pesticides on farmlands has
introduced the problem of management of used pesticides
containers in Nigeria and most other developing countries as
there are no existing recycling programmes. Therefore, there
is the need to quantify the amount of pesticide containers
generated from farmlands with a view to designing
appropriate disposal strategies for these pesticide containers
so that the appropriate agencies may take necessary actions in
order to promote agricultural development, generate
employment/income and keep the environment clean and
safe.
METHODOLOGY
Study area
Kaduna State is the successor to the old Northern Region
of Nigeria, which had its capital at Kaduna. In 1967 this was
split up into six states, one of which was the North-Central
State, whose name was changed to Kaduna State in 1976.
This was further divided in 1987, losing part of its area to
Katsina State. Agriculture accounts for an estimated 56 % of
Kaduna’s GDP and employs approximately 4 million people.
Kaduna produces 22 % of the country’s maize, 69 % of soya
bean, 36 % of cotton and 10 % of ground nuts (peanuts) and
the state trades agricultural produce to neighboring states.
The sector is dominated by wet season planting and an
irrigated dry season planting. Most farmers currently produce
cereal crops such as maize, sorghum, millet and rice during
the rainy season. Cereal crops are exported to surrounding
states and are an important source of cash. Kaduna is one of
the largest producers of rice in Nigeria and it exports
substantial quantities to other Nigerian states and other
neighboring African countries. The state is also an important
producer of fruits and vegetables.
Kaduna state is divided into 4 agricultural zones namely;
Maigana, Samaru-Kataf, Birnin-Gwari and Lere Zones.
According to the current village listing survey, Kaduna State
has about 606,007 farming families; majority of who are
benefitting from the intervention efforts of the Agricultural
Programs of the State Government through KADP. The total
population of Kaduna state was estimated at 6,113,503 while
the total number of farmers was estimated at 1,293,000
(NBS- Agricultural Survey Report, 2007).
Sampling techniques, data collection and
analysis
area. This was done by using the data obtained from the
National Bureau of Statistics- Agricultural Survey Report
(2007) which gave the number of crop farmers in the state
from 2002-2006, and this was extrapolated to 2025 assuming
an annual increase of 0.916%. The analytical tools used for
the study were the descriptive statistics such as mean, range,
percentage, frequency distribution and the results were
presented in tables and charts.

The instruments used for collecting primary data were RESULT AND DISCUSSION
design questionnaire and personal interview. A simple
random sampling technique was used in the selection of the Socio- Economic Characteristics and
sample for this study. A total of 400 farmers were selected, Technical Knowledge of Farmers in the
100 farmers from each of the zones. Some farmers were Study Area
interviewed verbally due to their low literacy level. The
secondary data source included text books, journals and the
internet. The quantity of pesticides used in the study area was The socio-economic characteristics of the farmers (Table
obtained by estimating the total number of crop farmers in the 1) show that youths below the age of 20 years do not actively

TABLE 1
Socio- Economic Characteristic of Farmers in the Study Area

Characteristic Category Respondents

in the/ sample
(%, n = 400)

Age (years) ≤ 20 10.0

21-50 54.0
51-70 27.0
>70 9.0
Gender Male 81.2
Female 11.8
Education Primary Certificate 40.09
Secondary Certificate BSC, HND, NCE and Diploma 14.67
Qur’anic School 17.86
Adult School 9.52
17.86
Farm size < 1 Hectare 58.33
2 – 5 Hectares 16.67
˃ 5 Hectares 25
Farming Experience(years) 1- 10 Years 32.53
11 – 20 Years 34.94
21 – 30 Years 21.69
31 – 40 Years 10.84
Annual Income < ₦50, 000 ($315) 6.02
₦50,000-₦100,000 56.63
($315-$630)
> ₦100, 000 ($630) 37.35
Type of crops cultivated Cereals 68.29
Legumes 13.41
Roots and Tubers 18.29

JOURNAL OF SOLID WASTE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT VOLUME 42, NO. 4 NOVEMBER 2016 274

FIGURE 1
Map of Nigeria showing Kaduna State
participate in farming in the study area. Rather, many of them
prefer to engage in other forms of jobs such as commercial
motorcycling, selling of fuel (black market) while others
attend school and at the same time engage in other jobs as a
means of sustenance. Majority of the farmers (54%) were
within the age bracket of 21-50 years old and this suggests
that farming activities in the study area are likely to be
sustainable because the farmers in this age group are likely to
live for many more years.
The study also showed that over 81% of the farmers were
males, however in Zangon-Kataf, quite a number of women
were farm owners. However, throughout the study area,
women were seen working on the farms as hired laborers.
The farm sizes of most of the farmers as shown from the
study (Table 1) is less that 1 hectare which infers that
majority of the farmers practice small scale farming and this
explains why the annual income of 56.63% of the farmers
was between ₦50,000 to ₦100,000 ($315-$630). The study
also revealed that the farmers have varying years of
experience in the farming profession and the prominent type
of crop cultivated is cereals.
All the farmers in the study area had one form of
education or the other but majority of them (40.09%) had
only primary school certificate. Also most of the farmers
indicated that they had knowledge of the dangers associated
with improper disposal of used pesticide containers and have
received trainings on pesticide use and management. Proper
disposal methods are not in place for them to put into practice
the knowledge they have acquired from the trainings.
However, despite the awareness which they claim to have,
most of the farmers dispose their used pesticide containers by
burning them while others re-use or bury them as shown in
Figure 2. This situation suggests that that the training that the
farmers receive is either not adequate or the facilities for

TABLE 2
Technical knowledge of farmers on Proper use of Pesticides

Information sought Response Respondents

in sample
(%, n = 400)

Knowledge of dangers associated with improper Yes 77.38

disposal of used pesticide containers.
No 22.62
Training on Pesticide Use and Management. Yes 82.5

No 17.5
Source of Training. Ministry of Agriculture 25.93
Company 22.22
Distributor 51.85
Knowledge of Precautionary Sign Attached to Yes 61.45
Pesticide Container.
No 38.55
Type of packaging of pesticides used Plastic 81.82
Aluminium 9.1
Polythene and foil 2.59
Other 6.49
Quantity of pesticides(bottles) used per planting 1-6 68.0
season 7-10 12.0
Above 10 20.0

275 ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF USED PESTICIDE CONTAINERS FROM FARM LANDS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

FIGURE 2
Method of Disposal of used pesticide containers
them to implement the trainings they have acquired is not
available.
Estimation of quantity of pesticides used
on farmlands in Kaduna State
The information on the population of crop farmers in
Kaduna State from 2002-2006 (NBS-Agricultural Survey
Report, 2007) was used to obtain an average annual increase
of 0.916% in the population of crop farmers from which an
extrapolation was made from 2007-2022. This decrease in
population of crops farmers can be attributed to the drift in
occupational activities from farming to other types of
occupations.
The quantities of pesticide containers to be generated
were also obtained by using an average of six (6) pesticide
containers per farmer (as obtained from information gathered
from the questionnaires). From these values, the quantity of
pesticide containers burnt, re-used and buried were estimated
using the percentages for burning, re-use and burying as
obtained from the questionnaires respectively.
SWOT Analysis of Management of Used
Pesticides Containers in Kaduna State
The study analyzed the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats of the current methods of used
pesticides containers management in the study area and these
are highlighted in Table 4.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
From the results of this research work, it was concluded

TABLE 3
Amount of pesticide containers burnt, re-used and buried from 2002-2022

Quantity of pesticide Quantity of pesticide Quantity of pesticide Quantity of pesticide

Year No of Crop Farmers containers to be used containers to be burnt containers to be re- used containers to be buried
2002 1255000a 7530000c 4774773 2020299 734928
a
2003 1341000 8046000c 5101969 2158742 785290
2004 1427000 a 8562000c 5429164 2297185 835651
2005 1338000 a 8028000c 5090555 2153912 783533
2006 1293000 a 7758000c 4919348 2081471 757181
2007 1305930b 7835580c 4968541 2102286 764753
2008 1318989 b 7913936c 5018227 2123309 772400
2009 1332179 b 7993075c 5068409 2144542 780124
2010 1345501 b 8073006c 5119093 2165987 787925
2011 1358956 b 8153736c 5170284 2187647 795805
2012 1372546 b 8235273c 5221987 2209524 803763
b c
2013 1386271 8317626 5274207 2231619 811800
2014 1400134 b 8400802c 5326949 2253935 819918
2015 1414135 b 8484810c 5380218 2276475 828117
2016 1428276 b 8569658c 5434020 2299239 836399
2017 1442559 b 8655355c 5488361 2322232 844763
2018 1456985 b 8741909c 5543244 2345454 853210
2019 1471555 b 8829328c 5598677 2368909 861742
2020 1486270 b 8917621c 5654663 2392598 870360
2021 1501133 b 9006797c 5711210 2416524 879063
2022 1516144 b 9096865c 5768322 2440689 887854
a
Obtained from NBS- Agricultural Survey Report, 2007
b
estimated assuming annual growth rate of 0.916%
c
estimation based on the average of 6 containers per farmer as obtained from the questionnaires

JOURNAL OF SOLID WASTE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT VOLUME 42, NO. 4 NOVEMBER 2016 276
 TABLE 4
SWOT analysis of management of used pesticides containers in Nigeria

Strenghts Weakness Opportunities Threats

 Fairly accurate data records on
imported products can be obtained
from pesticides dealers / distributors.
 Existence of Agricultural
agencies that can train farmers on
proper disposal methods for
pesticides containers and the risks of
improper disposal to the
environment.
 Existence of pesticides dealers /
distributors that could link up
directly with manufacturers for
possible return of used pesticides
containers for reuse for packaging of
the product.
 Non-existence of  Establishment of formal  The improper reuse and
environmental regulations and plastics recycling activities is viable disposal methods presently practiced
legislation which supports used since there is high potential for its in Nigeria may expose millions of
pesticides container management generation. people to toxins if proper
management programmes are not put
 Lack of disposal facilities for  Employment and income in place as soon as possible.
pesticides containers. generation through the used
pesticides container management
 Lack of public awareness on processes (collection, cleaning and
the potential risks of improperly transportation)
disposed pesticides containers to the
environment and human health.
 Lack of infrastructure for
formal collection and recycling
pesticides containers
 Improper disposal methods
such as burning and burying could
lead to environmental pollution as
well as pose risk to human health.

that pesticide containers are not well disposed in the study
area and there is yearly increase in the amount of pesticides
generated. It has therefore become necessary and a matter of
urgency that all pesticides containers must be recycled,
thereby generating employment opportunity, raw materials
for plastic industries and making environment clean and safe.
Based on the results of these findings, the following
recommendations are proffered
1. Government should enact laws that would mandate
pesticide manufacturers to offer take-back programmes
for their pesticide containers from farmers for reuse in
repackaging their products.
2. More awareness should be given to farmers on the need
to release their used pesticide containers to
manufacturers when proper take-back programmes
commence.
3. Other avenues for recycling the used pesticide containers
should be sought and implemented in the interim before
take-back programmes commence.
REFERENCES
Anonymous (1980): A Manual of Safe Practices in the
Handling and Use of Pesticide and Transport, Storage and
Disposal Some Health and Environmental CICC
University of Miami, Florida.
Fred Whitford, C. Richard Edward, Johnathan J. Neal,
Andrew G. Martine, John Osumnn and Robert
Hollingworth (2001) Pesticide and Personal Safety. Purde
University Cooperative Extension Services Bulltine pp.
20.
Ibrahim, F.B., U. Ibrahim and S.B. Saulawa (2011).
“Occupational Safety and Pesticide Hazard among Agro-
Chemical Input Dealers in Oyo state, Nigeria”. Nassarawa
State University, Keffi. Journal of Science and
Technology, Volume 1(1&2), pp. 13-17.
Jaga, K. and Dharmani C. (2003). Sources of Exposure to and
Health Implications of Organophosphate Pesticides.Rev.
Panam Salaud Publica Volume 14(3) Washington Sept.
2003.
Kennedy, M.V, B.J. Stojanovic and F.L. Shuman (1969),
Chemical and thermal Methods for Disposal of Pesticide.
Mordi, M. (2010): Pesticides Classification, a paper presented
at the annual staff training of SARO Agrosciences Lagos,
Nigeria.

277 ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF USED PESTICIDE CONTAINERS FROM FARM LANDS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA