Screening of organochlorine insecticides (DDT and heptachlor) in dry fish available in Bangladesh

Abstract

The concentrations of organochlorine insecticides DDT and heptachlor were investigated to estimate the current status of insecticides used in dry fish. The most popular dry fish– ribbon fish (chhuri), shrimp (chingri) and bombay duck (loittya) were selected for this study and these dry fishes were collected from different markets of Dhaka and Chittagong. The range of DDT used in all the samples was 3.04 to 875.0 ppb. The range of DDT in ribbon fish 131.6 to 149.4 ppb, in shrimp 3.04 to 318.2 ppb and in bombay duck 61.9 to 875.0 ppb was found. The range of heptachlor used in all the samples was 0.7 to 5.5 ppb. The range of heptachlor in ribbon fish 1.7 to 2.3 ppb, in shrimp 0.7 to 3.8 ppb and in bombay duck 1.8 to 5.5 ppb was found. The heptachlor was not found in ribbon fish (CTG-2), shrimp (DHK-2 and CTG-1) and bombay duck (DHK- 1). The concentration of heptachlor in dry fish compare to DDT was found too much less.