Pesticide Residues in Fish - Pesticides: Evaluation of Environmental Pollution - page 371

endocrine-disrupting compounds. At the same time, relatively high vitellogenin concen-
trations in male fish occurred, which could have indicated environmental exposure to
estrogenic or antiandrogenic chemicals. The study revealed that concentrations of OCPs
in fish gonads were significantly higher than in muscle tissue.
The OCP residues in fish sold in markets and fishing sites in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire,
were investigated. Of the 16 OCPs considered, 11 were present in the samples analyzed at
various concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 14.4 μg/kg. Fresh product samples were mostly
contaminated by DDD. The catfish, with a total average concentration of 27.2 μg/kg of
fresh product, was the most contaminated species. Heads (27.8 μg/kg of fresh product) and
viscera (17.5 μg/kg of fresh product) were the most contaminated parts of the fish species
analyzed. The fishing port of Vridi was the most contaminated site. The species collected
on this site presented a total average concentration of 24.4 μg/kg of fresh product. The com-
parison of total concentration mean of organochlorine pesticides in the species collected,
with the maximum residue limits (MRL) set for the fishery products, suggests that health
risks faced by populations in Abidjan through fish consumption are currently low (Biego
et al. 2010).
Some organochlorine pesticides may occur in the tissues of aquatic biota at levels
even a thousand times higher than in the water. The levels of DDT and HCH in the
Qiantang River (China) varied from 0.001 to 0.026 ng/mL and 0.010 to 0.023 ng/mL,
respectively (Zhou et al. 2006). Falandysz et al. (1999) reported that similar concen-
trations of γ-HCH (0.012 ng/mL) and β-HCH (0.012 ng/mL) also were detected in the
Vistula River (Poland).
The Oder (Odra) is one of the longest rivers in Europe (741.9 km). In Widuchowa, the
Oder River bifurcates, with its eastern and western branches enclosing a wetland area
of Międzyodrze, which is one of the largest fens in Europe with unique flora and fauna.
A study was conducted to monitor the presence of pesticides in water and fish from the
Oder River in Poland (Tomza-Marciniak and Witczak 2010). The concentrations of OCPs
in fish gonads were found to be significantly higher than in the muscle tissue. The domi-
nant pesticide in the gonads of roach and bream was γ-HCH, while β-HCH predominated
the muscle tissues of these fish. Endrin, on the other hand, was the major pesticide in the
muscle tissue of ide. The mean concentrations of OCPs in the gonads ranged from 0.385
to 0.544 ng/g ww for α-HCH, 0.745 to 0.832 ng/g ww for γ-HCH, 0.479 to 0.576 ng/g ww
for dieldrin, and 0.381 to 0.684 ng/g ww for endrin ( Table 13.3 ). Concentrations of these
pesticides in the water taken from the Oder River followed the order: endrin > γ-HCH >
α-HCH > dieldrin > β-HCH > heptachlor ≈ aldrin > heptachlor epoxide. The highest log
BCF (bioconcentration factor) was obtained for fish gonads and ranged from 1.5 (endrin)
to 3.4 (heptachlor epoxide). Estimated daily intake (EDI) varied from 0.0014% to 0.097% of
the acceptable daily intake (ADI) ( Table 13.4 ).
Bioconcentration factors are used for quantitative assessment of bioaccumulation,
understood as a process of accumulation of a substance in the body of fish in proportion to
its concentration in the aquatic environment (Zhou et al. 2007). Water and sediment sam-
ples were also analyzed for thirteen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in 18 fish species
from the Qiantang River (Zhou et al. 2007). Total concentrations of OCPs in fish muscles
ranged from 7.43 to 143.79 ng/g ww, with the highest concentration recorded in the sole
fish ( Cynoglossus abbreviatus ), a benthic carnivore. The results indicated that carnivorous
fish have higher OCP concentration than other fish with different feeding modes. OCP
concentration in fish was in the range of 1.86-5.85, 2.65-133.51, and 1.94-12.48 ng/g for
HCHs (α-, β-, γ-, δ-HCH), DDTs (p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDD), and other OCPs
(aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide), respectively. The highest OCP