Many of the more harmful pesticides have active ingredients – such as glyphosate – that are banned or heavily restricted in other places, such as Europe.
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“We found the chemical to interfere with the development of the male reproductive organs,” said the researchers.
The team said their animal studies had shown exposure to the weed killer has serious negative effects on the male reproductive organs, the liver and kidneys.
The scientists had exposed 40 guinea pigs to the weed killer for two months and observed its impact on internal body organs.
Male guinea pigs exposed to the weed killer were found to have low weight gains and abnormal but dramatic small-sized and low weighing testicles.
The team also reports the rats fed on glyphosate had sperms of low quality, poor movement ability, and of low viability compared to rats not fed on the chemical.
About 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the world’s potential crop production is lost annually to pests and diseases, necessitating the use of pesticides. Globally, over two million tonnes of over 1,000 various pesticides are used annually.
In Kenya, pesticides have been used for over 90 years with 17,803 tonnes imported in 2018 up from 12,233 tonnes in 2014.
Kenyatta University (KU) recently carried out a study on the safety status of tomatoes grown and consumed in Kirinyaga, the second leading tomato producing county in Kenya.
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Records show Kenya contributes 340,000 tonnes to the 177 million tonnes global annual tomatoes production.