Levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in fresh water fishes of three bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu, India

Organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues were determined in nine species of fresh water fishes caught from three bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 302 fishes were analyzed for various types of OCPS. OCPs, namely hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan, and dieldrin were detected among various species of fishes. Among the various OCPs analyzed, HCH was the most frequently detected pesticides. Among the HCH isomers, HCH contributed more than 50% to the sigma HCH. p,p' DDT, the metabolites of DDT, had high percentage of occurrence. Among the cyclodiene insecticide residues, endosulfan was detected in more than 60% of the fishes. Varying levels of sigma OCPs (a sum of sigma HCH, sigma DDT, sigma endosulfan, heptachlor epoxide, and dieldrin) were detected in various fish species, although it was not significant (p>0.05). However, significant variations in OCPs were observed among location and between seasons (p<0.05). However, continuous monitoring is recommended to facilitate the early identification of risks not only to the fishes, but also to fish-eating birds breeding in these sanctuaries.