Levels of heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides of cyprinid fish reared four years in a wastewater treatment pond

Sanitary risks to public health are certainly the most serious bottleneck for wastewater aquaculture extension. Apart from the fact of an eventual transmission to man of pathological organisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites by fish, the wide occurrence in domestic sewage of micro-pollutants like heavy metals and pesticides, generally considered as bio-cumulative, is troublesome. In this respect, short-term analyses cannot give a good idea of potential hazard, as its is widely assumed that accumulation by fish or aquatic animals is related to age, size, feeding habits and retention time in polluted waters. The authors present here the results of a study on a sample of 14 tench (Tinca tinca) and 4 rudd (Scardinius erythrophtalmus), introduced 4 years before in a wastewater treatment pond of the town of Realmont (France). Both species may be considered as good test for heavy metal and pesticide contamination, according to their feeding behavior. After the estimation of age, growth and sanitary state of the fish, analytical results of three metals (cadmium, lead and mercury) and sic organochlorine pesticides and derived compounds (DDT, heptachloride, aldrin, dieldrin, HCB and HCH) are compared with natural water fish content and discussed in relation to international recommendations concerning foodmore » product quality.« less