Organochlorine contamination in some marketable fish in Egypt

Ten organochlorine compounds were analyzed in four species of fish (Bouri Mugil spp., Denis Sparus auratus, Moza Boops boops and Mousa Pegusa lascaris), from four Egyptian governorates (South Sinai, Suez, Port-Said and Demietta). Although all fish studied are bottom or near-bottom feeders, remarkable variations between studied species were noticed. The grand total values recorded at the studied governorates were in descending order: Bouri>Denis>Moza>Mousa. The highest concentration of pesticides was recorded in Demietta governorate fish (20-211 ng/g of wet weight) and the p,p'-DDE dominated over the other p,p'-isomers in all studied fish, while dieldrin was the dominated in the studied cyclodiene compounds. However, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) occurred at all studied governorate fish except Mousa fish from South Sinai. Toxaphene was detected only in fish (Bouri, Denis, and Mousa) from Demietta governorate. Chlordane was not detected in any studied fish. The level of organochlorine pesticides contamination in fish from the studied governorates is relatively low and should not pose a health risk to consumers.