Assessment of occurrence and concentrations of paraquat dichloride in water, sediments and fish from Warri River Basin, Niger Delta, Nigeria

The distribution of Paraquat dichloride in different matrices of Warri River, Western Niger Delta, Nigeria was examined. The samplings and physicochemical parameters of the river were carried out during the dry and wet seasons, and stations were visited on monthly basis. The downstream stations had significant (p < 0.05) higher values than the control station. Seasonal variation revealed that, in water, the pesticide level was higher in the dry season than in wet season, and there was no significant difference between the seasons (p > 0.05). The reverse was the case for sediments and fish. The physicochemical parameters of the river's water were within the recommended limits accepted by Federal Environmental Protection Agency, Nigeria. The observed Paraquat dichloride concentrations were above ecological bench, an observation that calls for regular monitoring and strict law enforcement to develop a strategy to manage environmental hazards and to improve environmental protection of this area.