Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in fresh water farm fish species from Punjab (India) and evaluation of their dietary intake for human risk assessment

ABSTRACT

In India, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been used extensively in both agricultural and industrial sectors, resulting in deterioration of terrestrial and aquatic environment. In the present study, analysis of POPs in fresh water ecosystem comprising samples of fish, sediments, and water was done from fish farms in Punjab, India. POP residues comprising lindane, p,p’-DDE, p,p’-DDD, endosulfan sulfate, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners (PCB-28, PCB-138, PCB-180) were detected in fish samples. Residues of p,p’ DDE and p,p’ DDD were recorded utmost in fish flesh with mean levels of 13.8 and 5.8 ng g⁻¹, respectively. PCB residues were estimated in 20 fish samples with values in the range ND–46.3 ng g⁻¹. The mean residue levels detected in this study were lower than the recommended maximum residue limits (MRLs) described by EU-MRLs, Italian-MRLs, FDA-2001, and FAO-1983. At the current levels of POP residues in fish flesh, the human health risk assessment based on both deterministic (mean residue levels) and probabilistic (95th percentile upper bound limit) approaches, reflected that cancer and non-cancer risks were within United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) prescribed limits. The presence of POP residues in fish farm sediments and water elucidated the relationship between occurrence of POP residues in fish and its aquatic environment.

KEYWORDS:

• POPs
• fish
• risk assessment
• India

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the fish farmers for their cooperation and providing the samples.

Additional information

Funding

The present study is financially supported by the University Grants Commission, Government of India (Grant number: UGC NO. F. 42–635/2013 (MRP) and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab.