Abstract
Oil was extracted from the belly flaps of varied sizes of Nile perch caught from Lake Victoria (Uganda). The oil was analyzed for pesticide residues and heavy metals. Total residual concentration of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, endosulfan, hexachlorocyclohexane, hexachlorobenzene, heptachlor, chlordane, endrin, aldrin and chlorofenvinphos increased significantly (p < 0.05) with fish size. Mercury and lead were detected in most samples while arsenic and cadmium were below detection limits. Nile perch may, therefore, accumulate significant amount of chemical contaminants. Levels of contaminants in Nile perch oil were, in general, within limits considered acceptable by the stringent German Food Law for human consumption.
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Acknowledgment
This work was funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation (NORAD), International Foundation for Sciences (IFS) and African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD) supported by Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). We thank Vincent Makokha and Asumani Ratibu from the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), analytical laboratories, and Kepher Kateu from Chemiphar (Uganda) Limited, for their technical support.
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Ogwok, P., Muyonga, J.H. & Sserunjogi, M.L. Pesticide Residues and Heavy Metals in Lake Victoria Nile Perch, Lates niloticus, Belly Flap Oil. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 82, 529–533 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9668-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9668-x