TITLE:
Pesticide Residue Contamination Levels in Four Fish Species from the Déganobo Lacustrine System (San-Pédro, Côte d’Ivoire)
AUTHORS:
Kouadio Fabrice Arthur Konan, Marcel Konan Yao, Bénié Jean-Claude Drida Bi, Cheick Hicham Abbas, Koffi Sébastien Ouffoué, Kouamé Lazare Akpetou, Adama Diarrassouba Tuo, Issa Tapsoba
KEYWORDS:
Côte d’Ivoire, Fish, Health Risks, Pesticide Pollution, Pesticide Residues
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.15 No.11,
November
21,
2025
ABSTRACT: The study aimed to assess the contamination of four fish species (Heterotis niloticus, Oreochromis niloticus, Parachanna obscura, and Sarotherodon melanotheron) by 24 pesticide residues. A total of 120 samples, with 30 samples per species, were collected from August 2021 to July 2022. Pesticide residue analysis was performed on fish muscle using the QuEChERS extraction method. This was followed by quantification of the purified extract using GC-MS, based on the MA. 403-Pest 3.1 standard with minor modifications. Ecotoxicity risks for the four species were evaluated using the bioaccumulation factor (BAF), while human health risks were assessed for adults and children using the hazard index (HI) and short-term carcinogenic risk index (CR0). Metribuzin exhibited the highest concentrations in the muscle of all four fish species, whereas chlortoluron, imidacloprid, and terbutryn showed the lowest. Bioaccumulation of aldicarb, atrazine, metribuzin, and terbutryn in fish muscle was significant (BAF > 1), indicating substantial ecotoxicological risks to these fish. Regarding human health risks from consuming fish, significant risks were observed only for children, particularly due to the high concentration of chlorfenvinphos in Parachanna obscura muscle (HI = 1.0 ± 0.1) and the total detected residues (ΣHI = 1.1 ± 0.1). However, short-term carcinogenic risks were found to be low for humans (10−6 0 (ΣCR0) ≤ 10−4).