Organochlorine pesticides in Cyprinus carpio from Sidi Salem Dam, north-western Tunisia

Abstract

Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758) caught in Sidi Salem Dam in 2011 were analysed for the levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), including hexachlorobenzene (HCB), aldrin, heptachlor, lindane, dieldrin, endrin, and pp′-DDT and its two main metabolites pp′-DDD and pp′-DDE, in order to evaluate the extent of contamination of the dam. Fish were sampled monthly within the dam during 2011. Muscle, liver and gill tissues were analysed by gas chromatography for the determination of OCPs. Samples had variable concentrations of OCPs, ranging from 2.26 to 17.93 ng g−1, 0.59 to 42.67 ng g−1 and 3.30 to 84.27 ng g−1, which were isolated from gills, muscle and liver, respectively. The organochlorine pesticide levels found posed no threat to human health. The highest OCP levels were found in the liver tissues. The pp′-DDE concentrations and their ratios to ΣDDTs indicate aged DDT pollution and suggests that there has been no recent input of technical DDT from the agricultural areas into Sidi Salem Dam.