Bioaccumulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Neotropical Fish Astyanax Altiparanae

Abstract The Alagados Reservoir is located within two conservation units: the Devonian Escarpment Environmental Protection Area (DEEPA) and the Campos Gerais National Park (CGNP), forming part of the Pitangui River Dam. Additionally, it is situated beneath the Guarani Aquifer, one of the largest aquifers in the world, which is an important source of groundwater for several countries in South America. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) residues were detected in roe, viscera, and muscle of Astyanax altiparanae from the Alagados reservoir (Paraná State, Brazil). The presence of POPs may be related to the excessive use of regulated pesticides or even contrabanded products, which have a higher concentration than that allowed by law in Paraná State. Was observed a pattern of accumulation of p, pꞌ-DDT in Astyanax altiparanae: roe > muscle > viscera; regarding the other POPs, the accumulation pattern observed was: viscera > roe > muscle. Principal component analysis showed a proportional relationship between the highest concentrations of POPs and the width of the fish abdomen. The levels of POPs detected in Astyanax altiparanae samples did not exceed the maximum residue limits imposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), but risk quotient calculations indicated possible health risks associated with the consumption of these fish. In addition, of the POPs analyzed in regularly commercialized samples, the only pesticide detected in concentrations above the stipulated Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) by the FAO and WHO were α-Endosulfan and β-Endosulfan. As POPs may act as endocrine disruptors, low concentrations may be more effective than those of toxicological levels, concluding that the consumption of these fish can pose risks to the health of their consumers.