The Effect of some Selected Pesticides on the Growth and Reproduction of Fresh Water Oreochromis niloticus, Chrysicthys nigrodigitatus and Clarias gariepinus

Abstract

Studies were carried out to determine the toxicity of some selected pesticides on fresh water fish in a tropical environment. The uptake of the pesticides lindane, pentachlorophenol (PCP), and propoxur, which are frequently used on farms, and in industries as well as by loggers and timber men on wood were studied in concrete ponds at the University of Cape Coast, in Ghana. The fish used for the study were Oreochromis niloticus, Clarias gariepinus, and Chrysicthys nigrodigitatus. They were obtained from cultured ponds in the Cape Coast and Mankessim districts in the Central Region and Weija Dam, in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Single high lethal concentration (SD) or acute treatment and cumulative/chronic (or multiple minor) lethal concentration (CD) treatment were employed in administering the pesticides to the fish via water. Gas chromatograph electron capture detector analysis was done on the dead fish to see the extent of ingestion. The LC(50 )values obtained for lindane on the three fish samples were as follows: Chrysicthys - 0.38 mg L(-1); Oreochromis - 0.42 mg L(-1), and Clarias - 1.2 mg L(-1). Mortalities occurred in fish within 3-5 days of application. For the PCP on Chrysicthys, Oreochromis, and Clarias species the LC(50) values were 0.42, 0.32 and 0.64 mg L(-1), respectively, for over a 2- to 3-day period. For a three-time influx period of propoxur the LC(50) for Chrysicthys, Oreochromis, and Clarias, were 22.0, 30.40, and 45.04 (all in mg L(-1)), respectively. The results obtained indicated that the pesticides had adverse effects on the general growth and reproduction of fish as shown by gonadosomatic indices.

Assessment of the health status of wild fish inhabiting a cotton basin heavily impacted by pesticides in Benin (West Africa)

“…In general, the weight and the condition factor K of fish sampled from the Alibori River were lower than those from the Pendjari River. A decrease in the K of fish exposed to pollutants was also reported by Alvarez et al (2005) in red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), by Hanson et al (2007) in Nile tilapia, brackish water catfish and African catfish, and by Cook et al (2005) in zebrafish. Several hypotheses could explain the decrease in the condition factor, but the most influencing one is most likely the bioenergetic one.…”

Pesticides used in cotton production affect reproductive development, endocrine regulation, liver status and offspring fitness in African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

“…Previous studies reported in general, a decrease in K when fish are chronically exposed to some pesticides. A decrease of K in fish exposed to atrazine effluents was reported by Alvarez and Fuiman (2005) in red drum Sciaenops ocellatus and by Hanson et al (2007) in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, brackish water catfish Chrysitchtys nigrodigitatus and African catfish. There were no differences between the K of the Tihan exposed fish and that of control fish because from the eighth month of exposure the food intake (data not shown) increased considerably in these groups (especially TA-1 and TA-2) and their body mass also increased.…”

Exposure to agricultural pesticides impairs growth, feed utilization and energy budget in African Catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) fingerlings

“…Weight reduction was also found in Australian catfish Tandanus tandanus exposed to 2 or 10 lg/L of chlorpyrifos (Huynh and Nugegoda 2012), in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus exposed to 5-20 mg/L of dimethoate or 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/L of malathion (Sweilum 2006), in Barbus stigma exposed to a concentration of 3 lg/L of endosulfan (Manoharan and Subbiah 1982) and in spotted snakehead contaminated with diazinon (Cong et al 2009). A study of Hanson et al (2007) showed the adverse effects of lindane, pentachlorophenol and propoxur on the growth of Nile tilapia, African catfish and Bagrid catfish Chrysitchtys nigrodigitatus. On the contrary a concentration of 10 ng/L of b-endosulfan did not affect the growth of zebrafish (Han et al 2011).…”