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Diffusion of organochlorine (OCPs) and cypermethrin pesticides from rohu (Labeo rohita) internal organs to edible tissues during ice storage: a threat to human health

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Abstract

The migration of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and cypermethrin residues from internal organs to edible tissues of ice-held Labeo rohita (rohu) was investigated in this study. The liver (246 µg/kg) had the highest level of ∑OCP residues, followed by the gills (226 µg/kg), intestine (167 µg/kg), and muscle tissue (54 µg/kg). The predominant OCPs in the liver and gut were endosulfan (53–66 µg/kg), endrin (45–53 µg/kg), and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT; 26–35 µg/kg). The ∑OCP residues in muscle increased to 152 µg/kg when the entire rohu was stored in ice, but they decreased to 129 µg/kg in gill tissues. On days 5 and 9, the total OCPs in the liver increased to 317 µg/kg and 933 µg/kg, respectively. Beyond day 5 of storage, total internal organ disintegration had led to an abnormal increase in OCP residues of liver-like mass. Despite a threefold increase in overall OCP residues by day 9, accumulation of benzene hexachloride (BHC) and heptachlor was sixfold, endrin and DDT were fourfold, aldrin was threefold, and endosulfan and cypermethrin were both twofold. Endosulfan, DDT, endrin, and heptachlor were similarly lost in the gills at a rate of 40%, while aldrin and BHC were also lost at 60 and 30%, respectively. The accumulation of OCP residues in tissues has been attributed to particular types of fatty acid derivatives. The study concluded that while pesticide diffusion to edible tissues can occur during ice storage, the levels observed were well below the allowable limit for endosulfan, endrin, and DDT.

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Transparency statement

The methodology employed in this investigation was previously documented by Arisekar et al. (2021, 2022). Therefore, the methodology section and instrument conditions are obtained and reconstructed from our previous research.

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Funding

The authors express their sincere appreciation to the Researchers Supporting Project Number (RSP2024R228) King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The authors would like to thank ICAR-NAE for providing financial support. It is formally recognized that the first author was awarded the Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University merit fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fish Quality Assurance and Management, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University (TNJFU), Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, 628008, India

    Ulaganathan Arisekar, Robinson Jeya Shakila, Rajendran Shalini & Balasubramanian Sivaraman

  2. Department of Fishing Technology and Fisheries Engineering, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University (TNJFU), Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, 628008, India

    Arjunan Karthy

  3. Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Mysoon M. Al-Ansari & Nora Dahmash Al-Dahmash

  4. Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, India

    R. Mythili

  5. Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea

    Woong Kim

  6. ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400061, India

    Sugumar Ramkumar

  7. Mumbai, India

    Bhagyalakshmi Kalidass

  8. ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, 825405, India

    Shannon N. Sangma

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  1. Ulaganathan Arisekar
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  2. Robinson Jeya Shakila
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Contributions

UA, RJS and RS helped in conceptualization; UA, RJS, and SR helped in methodology; AK, MMA, and NDD worked in software and professional editing; RM, BK and WK helped in formal analysis; RS and RJS worked in investigation; UA, RJS, BK and AK helped in writing—original draft preparation; SNS, SR and BA helped in writing—review and editing; RS and RJS helped in supervision. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ulaganathan Arisekar or Rajendran Shalini.

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Arisekar, U., Shakila, R.J., Shalini, R. et al. Diffusion of organochlorine (OCPs) and cypermethrin pesticides from rohu (Labeo rohita) internal organs to edible tissues during ice storage: a threat to human health. Environ Geochem Health 46, 126 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-024-01891-x

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