Screening Cage Culture Fish Species for Organic Chlorinated Pesticide and Polychlorinated Biphenyl Residues in Turkey

Abstract

Organic chlorinated compounds (aldrin, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, 2,4’-DDT, and 4,4’-DDE) and polychlorinated biphenyles (PCB28 and PCB52) were screened in fish culture cages off the Aegean Coast of Turkey. Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and sea bream (Sparus aurata) were randomly selected from three coastal areas during June-December 2004. Samples of 114 fish were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) with an electron capture detector and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). No residues exceeding limits established by the European Union Directive were detected. However, 4,4’-DDE was found in 2.63% of the samples. The amounts of residues in all positive samples were lower than the maximum tolerance limits (0.2-1 mg/kg) accepted by the EU Directive. Contamination levels varied with species, ranging 18-200 ng/g wet weight. Other chemicals were not detected in fish samples.