Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Current pesticide practices and environmental issues in Vietnam: management challenges for sustainable use of pesticides for tropical crops in (South-East) Asia to avoid environmental pollution

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pesticides are widely used in modern agriculture to minimize financial losses and maintain food supplies. In southeast Asia, where agriculture is the principal economic activity, pesticides are considered essential, particularly in tropical regions seeking to enter the global economy by providing off-season fresh fruits and vegetables. The absence of a strong legal framework for pesticides facilitated a significant increase in the use of low-quality pesticides. Farmers ignore the risks, safety instructions, and protective directives when using pesticides. They are only concerned about the effectiveness of the pesticides for killing pests, without paying attention to the effects on their health and the environment. The improper usage of pesticides and the incorrect disposal of pesticide wastes contributed to the pollution of groundwater, surface water, and soil, and induced health problems in local communities. This paper describes the impact of the exposure of pesticides on human health and water resources in connection with the usage of pesticides and their management. Because of availability, the data are mainly taken for Northern Vietnam, and applied to the water quality in the delta; nevertheless, the problem relates to all countries in the delta, and similar situations may be found in other regions, particularly in Asia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

EUR:

Euro (European currency)

GIFAP:

International Group of National Associations of Manufactures of Agrochemical Product

ILO:

International Labour Organization

IPM:

Integrated Pest Management

PIC:

Prior Informed Consent

UNEP:

United Nations Environment Program

VND:

Vietnam Dong (Vietnamese currency)

WHO:

World Health Organization

References

  1. Thaipinta A, Hudak PF (2000) Pesticide use and residual occurrence in Thailand. Environ Monit Assess 60:103–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ejaz S, Akram W, Lim CW, Lee JJ, Hussain I (2004) Endocrine disrupting pesticides: a leading cause of cancer among rural people in Pakistan. Exp Oncol 26:98–105

    Google Scholar 

  3. WHO (2010) Drinking water quality in the South-East Asia region. http://www.searo.who.int/en/Section23/Section1000_15448.htm

  4. Minh TB, Iwata S, Pham HV, Bui CT, Tanabe S (2008) Persistent organic pollutants in Vietnam: environmental contamination and human exposure. Rev Environ Contam Toxicol 193:213–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Gomes J, Lloyd O, Revitt DM, Norman JN (1997) Erythrocyte chloinesterase activity in farmworkers in a desert country. J Occup Med Toxicol 47:90–94

    Google Scholar 

  6. Li A, Tanabe S, Jiang G, Giesy JP, Lam PKS (2007) Persistent organic pollutants in Asia: sources, distributions, transport and fate. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  7. Toan VD, Thao VD, Walder J, Schmutz HR, Ha CT (2007) Contamination by selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface soils in Hanoi. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 78:195–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Anwar S, Liaquat F, Khan QM, Khalid ZM, Iqbal S (2009) Biodegradation of chlorpyrifos and its hydrolysis product 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol by Bacillus pumilus strain C2A1. J Hazard Mater 168:400–405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Lamers M, Anyusheva M, Nguyen VV, Streck T (2011) Pesticide pollution in surface- and groundwater by paddy rice cultivation: a case study from Northern Vietnam. Clean Air Soil Water 39:356–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. PPD (2011) Country report on environmental protection in plant protection and monitoring period in 2006–2010 and key tasks in 2011–2015

  11. Donald JE (2001) Pesticide use in developing countries. Toxicology 160:27–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Hoi PV, Mol APJ, Oosterveer PJM (2009) Market governance for safe food in developing countries: the case of low-pesticide vegetable in Vietnam. J Environ Manag 91:380–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Dasgupta S, Mesiner C (2005) Pesticide poisoning of farm workers: implications of blood test results from Vietnam

  14. Whitfield D (1976) Historical and cultural dictionary of Vietnam. An English–Vietnamese encyclopedia Publishers Inc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hieu B (2008) Efficient use of water resources for social–economic sustainable development in the Red River Delta

  16. Anh DT (2002) Scientific base for proper and effective pesticide uses in Vietnam’s present context. Vietnam Agriculture Science Institute

  17. WHO (2004) The WHO recommended classification of pesticides by hazard. http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/pesticides_hazard_rev_3.pdf

  18. Thien LV (2007) Status of management and use of plan protection substance in intensive flower cultivation in Tay Tuu commune. Vietnam J Environ Res Sustain Dev 2:20–29

    Google Scholar 

  19. PPD (2009) Country report on pesticide management issue. Vietnam J Plant Prot 4:42–44

    Google Scholar 

  20. MARD (2011) List of pesticides permitted, restricted and banned to use in Vietnam

  21. McDougall L, Magloire L, Tollefson JG (1993) Attitudes and practices of pesticides users in Saint Lucia, West Indies. Pan Am Health Organ 27:43–51

    Google Scholar 

  22. McConnell R, Gordon M, Murray DL, Magnotti R (1992) Hazards of closed pesticide mixing and loading systems-the paradox of protective technology in the third world. Br J Ind Med 49:615–619

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hoi PV, Mol APJ, Oosterveer P, Van den Brink PJ (2009) Pesticide distribution and use in vegetable production in the Red River Delta of Vietnam. Renew Agric Food Syst 24:174–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Jaeken P, Debaer C (2005) Risk of water contamination by plant protection products (PPP) during pre-and post treatment operations. Annu Rev Agric Eng 4:93–114

    Google Scholar 

  25. Castillo MDP, Torstensson L (2007) Effect of biobed composition moisture, and temperature on the degradation of pesticides. J Agric Food Chem 55:5725–5733

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Dung NH, Dung TTT (2003) Economic and health consequences of pesticide use in paddy production in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

  27. Azni I, Bulent I, Mohd NH (2004) Overview of waste disposal and landfills/dumps in Asian countries. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 6:104–110

    Google Scholar 

  28. Seredynska-Sobeck AB, Tomaszewska M, Morawski AW (2005) Removal of micro-pollutants from water by ozination/biofiltration process. Desalination 182:151–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Gomes J, Lloyd OL, Revitt DM (1999) The influence of personal protective, environmental hygiene and exposure to pesticide on the health of immigrant farm workers in a desert country. Int Arch Occup Environ. Health 72:40–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Thu D (2006) Reality of number of food poisoning cases in Vietnam. http://www.nld.com.vn/145748P0C1050/so-vu-ngo-doc-thuc-te-cao-gap-hang-chuc-lan-so-voi-bao-cao.htm

  31. Thang M (2008) Poisoning: worrisome number. http://www.tuoitre.com.vn/Tianyon/Index.aspx?ArticleID=2902788andChannelID=3

  32. Huyen N (2008) Farmers need education in pesticide use. Vietnamnet newspaper. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2008/03/772687/

  33. Quang MN (2001) An evaluation of the chemical pollution in Vietnam. http://www.mekonginfo.org/mrc_en/doclib.nsf/0/1D952C500BE72DC587256B74000703C8/$FILE/FULLTEXT.pdf

  34. Huan NH, Anh DT (2002) Increased demand for locally adapted hybrid fruit and vegetable varieties in Vietnam. In: The quality management in food hygiene and safety. Ha Noi, Vietnam, pp 23–27

  35. MARD (1999) List of pesticides permitted, restricted and banned to use in Vietnam

  36. Mai V, Cuc NTT, Hung NQ (1993) Country report on farmers’ perceptions of rice pest problems and management tactics used in Vietnam

  37. Van Mele P, Cuc NTT, VanHuis A (2001) Farmers’ knowledge perceptions and practices in mango pest management in Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Int J Pest Manag 47:7–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Waage J (1998) Sustainable pest management in small holder tree crops: farmer as IPM experts. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/research/cacao/waage.cfm

  39. Vietnam IPM Program (2011) Field guide on gender and IPM. http://www.vegetableipmasia.org/docs/Field%20Guide/Gender-field-guide-updated-jan2011.pdf

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are very thankful to the Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad—University Development Cooperation (VLIR-UOS), Belgium for providing financial assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Applied Physical Chemistry and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, K.U. Leuven, W. de Croylaan 46, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Pham Thi Thuy, Steven Van Geluwe & Bart Van der Bruggen

  2. Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hanoi University of Civil Engineering, 55 Giai Phong Road, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Viet-Anh Nguyen

Authors
  1. Pham Thi Thuy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steven Van Geluwe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Viet-Anh Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bart Van der Bruggen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bart Van der Bruggen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thuy, P.T., Van Geluwe, S., Nguyen, VA. et al. Current pesticide practices and environmental issues in Vietnam: management challenges for sustainable use of pesticides for tropical crops in (South-East) Asia to avoid environmental pollution. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 14, 379–387 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-012-0081-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-012-0081-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation