Nitrates significantly impact human health and the environment. Drinking water and vegetables are considered the main sources of exposure to exogenous nitrates for humans. This study aimed to estimate and assess the health hazards from nitrate contamination present in drinking water and vegetables for infants in the north of the Gaza Strip. A total of 252 samples were collected from groundwater and drinking water, and 15 vegetable samples were analyzed with a spectrophotometer. In addition, an ELISA kit was used to determine methemoglobin in 87 infant blood samples. According to the findings of this study, the nitrate concentration in groundwater was in the range from 58.3 mg/L to 178.4 mg/L. Meanwhile, the nitrate levels in drinking water were found to be between 10 and 17 mg/L. As for vegetables, carrots (237.20 ± 53.23 mg kg⁻¹), potatoes (246.80 ± 81.42 mg kg⁻¹), and zucchini (275.86 ± 58.87 mg kg⁻¹) had varying nitrate concentrations. Lastly, the study revealed that methemoglobinemia was present in 32.2% of infant samples in the study area. This study concluded that 97% of groundwater in desalination plants exceeded WHO guidelines (>50 mg/L), and the values of nitrates in drinking water showed the existence of nitrate contamination. Among vegetables, zucchini has the highest nitrate content. Exposure to drinking water and vegetables contaminated with nitrate increased the percentage of methemoglobin levels in infants.

Developing countries like Nigeria are increasingly employing pesticides to boost the productivity of their agriculture and food supply, despite the fact that doing so poses a health risk to the general populace. The purpose of this study was to assess pesticide residue levels in Lagos, Nigeria. A total of 18 samples from three neighbourhood markets were collected, and they were then examined for the presence of organochlorine (Endosulfan I, Pentachlorophenol, Heptachlor epoxide, and Endosulfan II) and organophosphate (Dichlorvos, Dimethoate, Phorate, and methyl parathion) residues. During the pre-treatment, the multi-residue Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS citrate) method with the addition of acetonitrile was used, and then samples were analysed using GC-MS. All of the samples contained dichlorvos, but the orange sample's concentration was below the limit of quantification, making quantification impossible. Dimethoate concentrations were below MRLs except waterleaf sample. With a concentration of 0.043 μg/mL, Waterleaf had the highest quantity of dimethoate in the sample. The findings of this study indicate that in order to safeguard the health of consumers, it is necessary to closely monitor organochlorine and organophosphate use nationwide, along with other related pesticides, and to test for pesticide residues in food products.

Glyphosate is an inhibitor of the shikimate pathway in plants and the most widely used broad-spectrum herbicide. Due to the abundance of its use, there exists a necessity to measure the levels both in humans and in the environment to control the nefarious outcomes of its use. The appropriateness, selectivity, and the specifi city of the employed analytical methods are crucial for the reliability of the resultant deductions when conducting biomonitoring studies on possible exposure to chemicals, whether the samples are biological or environmental in nature. The aim of this study is to evaluate the analytical techniques used to monitor glyphosate levels in human and environmental samples. A detailed web-based literature search was conducted to gather data on the analytical techniques used for glyphosate determination. The most preferred authentic samples are blood, urine, and milk. Environmental samples include plants, soil, and water. Among widely used analytical techniques used to detect glyphosate are High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Liquid Chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, Gas Chromatography – Tandem Mass Spectrometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Depending on the sample and study, the most suitable analytical method has been selected. A critical evaluation and publication of pre-existing literature on analytical methods in glyphosate-based herbicide detection will thus aid all relevant researchers in the determination of an appropriate, selective, and specific methodology