. Furthermore,
the several occasions of chemical accidents and spillage that
the majority of the cacao farmers admitted experiencing and
the failure to wash up immediately thereafter also increase
contamination by the dermal route. More than half of the
farmers stored insecticides in their bedrooms, which is a
dangerous practice that predisposes them to inhalation poisoning,
as well as possible contamination of foodstuff and
consequent dietary poisoning. Improper disposal of used insecticide
containers and practices of cleaning spraying equipment
in streams or wells that serve as sources of domestic
water supply were quite common among the farmers. These
are also dangerous practices that can lead to exposure hazard,
not only for the farmers but for their household and their
entire community as well. Like in other developing countries,
Nigeria lacks adequate technologies for disposal of
used insecticide containers, thereby contributing to inevitable
health and environmental hazards. For instance, contamination
of the water bodies in the villages can similarly pose a
risk to non-target aquatic organisms. All these findings on
the cacao farmers’ KAP also corroborate earlier findings on
some other selected groups of farmers in Southeastern Nigeria22
and argue for a strong advocacy for awareness training
on pesticides and pesticide safety measures for Nigerian
farmers.