POPs in Sparus auratus Species from the Eastern and Western Egyptian Mediterranean Coast: A Health Hazard Study

Abstract

The residual concentrations of HCHs, TC, DDTs, THCs and PCBs were measured in Sparus auratus collected from the eastern and western sectors of the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea, as the most common fish species in the area. Gas chromatograph equipped with 63Ni-electron capture detector and 35% phenyl polysilphenylenesiloxane capillary column was used for the analysis and quantification after well-established extraction techniques. The concentrations (wet weight) of PCBs, DDTs, TCs, HCHs were: (1.87 - 616.66 ng·g-1), (0.42 - 98.28 ng·g-1), (0.06 - 2.94 ng·g-1), (0.35 - 11.77 ng·g-1), respectively in Sparus auratus collected from the eastern sector. However, these concentrations as wet weight in Sparus auratus from the western sector were: (5.75 - 605.53 ng·g-1), (1.53 - 226.47 ng·g-1), (0.09 - 8.12 ng·g-1), (0.26 - 5.80 ng·g-1), respectively. In general, concentrations of pesticides and PCBs in Sparus auratus either from the western or eastern Egyptian Mediterranean coast were far below the international permissible levels.