Pesticide bioaccumulation and plasma sex steroids in fishes during breeding phase from north India

Abstract The investigation was done to monitor the total hexachlorocyclohexane (∑HCH) and total dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (∑DDT), aldrin, endosulfan and chlorpyrifos in liver, brain and ovary, gonadosomatic index (GSI) and plasma levels of testosterone (T) and estradiol-17β (E2) during breeding season of captured catfishes and carps from the unpolluted ponds of Gujartal, Jaunpur (reference site) and polluted rivers Gomti, Jaunpur and Ganga, Varanasi. Results have indicated that catfishes have higher bioaccumulation of pesticides than the carps, which was beyond the permissible limits for ∑HCH whereas ∑DDT only by catfishes of polluted rivers. The GSI and plasma levels of T and E2 were lowered in the fishes captured from the polluted rivers. In conclusion, the fishes from river Gomti and Ganga showed a high degree of contamination and disrupted reproductive axis when compared to those from the reference site reflecting the degree of pesticide pollution present in those water bodies.