Application of the QuEChERS method for the determination of pesticides, PAHs and PCBs in fish in Senegal

Abstract

Pollution of water by persistent organic pollutants is well described; however, little is known about the accumulation of these pollutants by aquatic organisms. For this reason, a method based on QuEChERS extraction and gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the muscles of five fish species from the bay of Soumbedioune (Dakar, Senegal). This method shows good recoveries of extraction (68.2-98.1% for pesticides, 83.87-98.10% for PAHs and 81.30-98.15% for PCBs), precision (% RSD ≤ 1%), sensitivity (LODs between 0.001 and 0.079 ng g⁻¹), linearity (R² ≥ 0.99) and repeatability and reproducibility, evaluated for three concentration levels (10 ng g⁻¹, 200 ng g⁻¹ and 500 ng g⁻¹), ≤ 15% for the majority of pollutants under study except for alachlor, atrazine, acetochlor, dicofol, deltamethrin and dichlorvos where a RSD ≥ 20% was determined for the 10 ng g⁻¹ concentration. Organic pollutants have been detected in fish from the Soumbedioune coast demonstrating the necessity of a regular survey of water and fish in order to protect the populations.

Keywords:

• Pollution
• pesticides
• PAHs
• PCBs
• fish
• QuEChERS
• GC-MS/MS

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr Paul NKENG from University of Strasbourg and the ministry of education and research of Senegal for the grant of Cheikh Tidiane DIONE.

Conflict of interest

All authors have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

Fishes analyzed in the study are coming from commercial fisheries.

Consent to participate

All authors declare they have given consent to participate in this article.

Consent to publish

All authors declare they have given consent to publish this article.

Authors contributions

CTD wrote the first version of original manuscript. MM, AD and MN have reviewed, corrected and edited the final version of the manuscript, OD, ChD, ID, BN, SD, MMD, DC and MH have participated to the sampling, the analysis and interpretation of the data.

Competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable

Additional information

Funding

Ministry of education and research of Senegal for the grant of Cheikh Tidiane DIONE.