EFFECT OF ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES ON BIRDS IN THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

摘要

Preliminary studies to investigate the effect of organochlorine pesticides on birds in the United Republic of Tanzania were conducted in the Lower Moshi area, at the National Agriculture and Food Corporation in the west Kilimanjaro region, on the Arusha seed farm and Tropical Pesticides Research Institute (TPRI) farms, on the Manyara ranch and in areas around Lake Victoria, as well as in the TPRI laboratory. Large quantities of the pesticides, particularly DDT, endosulfan, dieldrin, lindane and toxaphene, are still being applied against pests of cotton, coffee, maize, beans and other crops, as well as against disease vectors. Several groups of birds, including waterbirds, African fish eagles, marabou storks, oxpeckers, ducks, etc., were found to feed, roost and swim in water and to be exposed to other substances contaminated with organochlorine pesticides. The analytical results of African fish eagle tissues collected from the Lake Victoria areas showed that the kidneys were contaminated with p,p' -DDE and o,p' -DDE at levels of 0.4ng/g and 1.45 ng/g, respectively. These organochlorine pesticides, and beta-HCH, were also present in the brain and liver tissues. The levels of organochlorine residue were well below the lethal and sublethal levels for raptorial birds reported in the literature.