Concepts on Accumulation of Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs in Fish: A Review with Emphasis in Tilapia

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The intensive use of pesticides and veterinary drugs can contaminate aquatic bodies and be accumulated in the organisms that live there. A major concern has been the presence of residues of these substances in some species of fish that are consumed as a source of protein for human beings. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out laboratory studies to find out about the accumulation of these contaminants in the aquatic organism in order to ensure that they are safe for consumption. This review presents the concepts about accumulation of these contaminants in fish, and with this information it is possible to evaluate the risk regarding consumption of this food. More detailed information about studies carried out with tilapia is discussed because it is one of the most consumed fish species in the world. ABSTRACT: The quality of the aquatic environment can be compromised by the practice of intensive use of pesticides in agriculture and by the misuse of veterinary drugs. Therefore, organisms that live in aquatic ecosystems may be affected due to the presence of these chemicals, through runoff, leaching and other processes. Exposure of aquatic organisms to these xenobiotics could pose health risks. Consequently, there is a growing interest in predicting the bioaccumulation of these substances in aquatic biota from experiments conducted under laboratory conditions. Studies on fish have been performed due to its importance as human food and their wide distribution in most of the aquatic environment. Thus, this article reviews the concepts on determining the accumulation of pesticides and veterinary drugs in fish. The risk regarding the consumption of fish containing residues of these chemical agents, the acceptable daily intake, the testing protocols and the analytical techniques used to determine the residues of these substances in fish tissues are discussed. An emphasis on studies involving tilapia as the test organism was included because, according to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), this species is one of the most cultivated in the world.