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PCBs in fish and their cestode parasites in Lake Victoria

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Abstract

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) regulated by the Stockholm Convention (2001). Although their production and use was stopped almost three decades ago, PCBs are environmental persistent, toxic, and bioaccumulate in biota. We assessed the levels of 7 PCB congeners (IUPAC nos. 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180) in sediment and fish (Oreochromis niloticus, Lates niloticus, and Rastrineobola argentea) and evaluated the potential of cestode fish endoparasite (Monobothrioides sp., Proteocephalaus sp., and Ligula intestinalis) as biomonitors of PCBs in Lake Victoria, Kenya. The median concentration of Σ7PCBs in sediments and fish were 2.2–96.3 μg/kg dw and 300–3,000 μg/kg lw, respectively. At all the sampling sites, CB138, CB153, and CB180 were the dominant PCB congeners in sediment and fish samples. Compared to the muscle of the piscine host, Proteocephalaus sp. (infecting L. niloticus) biomagnified PCBs ×6–14 while Monobothrioides sp. (infecting O. niloticus) biomagnified PCBs ×4–8. Meanwhile, L. intestinalis (infecting R. argentea) biomagnified PCBs ×8–16 compared to the muscle of unparasitized fish. We demonstrate the occurrence of moderate to high levels of PCB in sediments and fish in Lake Victoria. We also provide evidence that fish parasites bioaccumulate higher levels of PCBs than their piscine hosts and therefore provide a promising biomonitor of PCBs. We urge further a long-term study to validate the use of the above cestode fish parasites as biomonitoring tools for PCBs.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by grants from the The Netherlands Government through NWO-WOTRO (grant no. W 01.83.2004.023) and partial funds from the Global Livestock Collaborative Research Support Program (GL-CRSP Grant No. LAG-G-00-96-90015-00. The lead also author also obtained additional funds from the Kenyan government through the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) and Moi University Research Fund (MURF). We are grateful to ILRI who assisted in laboratory sample preparation and analysis.

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  1. Division of Environmental Health, School of Environmental Studies, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125, Eldoret, Kenya

    John Oluoch-Otiego, Kipkorir Koross Godfrey Kiptoo & Gelas Simiyu

  2. School of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Department of Natural Resource, Karatina University, P.O. Box 1957-10101, Karatina, Kenya

    Elijah Oyoo-Okoth

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125, Eldoret, Kenya

    Emily J. Chemoiwa

  4. Department of Agricultural Resource Management, Kenyatta University, School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development, P.O. Box 43844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    Charles C. Ngugi

  5. Department of Technology Education, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya, P.O. Box 1125, Eldoret, Kenya

    Elijah S. Omutange

  6. Department of Biological Sciences, Laikipia University, Nyahururu, P.O. Box 1100-20300, Kenya

    Veronica Ngure

  7. Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, National Aquaculture Research Development and Training Center, P.O. Box 451-10230, Sagana, Kenya

    Mary A. Opiyo

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  1. John Oluoch-Otiego
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Oluoch-Otiego, J., Oyoo-Okoth, E., Kiptoo, K.K.G. et al. PCBs in fish and their cestode parasites in Lake Victoria. Environ Monit Assess 188, 483 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5483-0

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