The use of pesticides in agricultural sectors is rising due to the growing demand for food in the... more The use of pesticides in agricultural sectors is rising due to the growing demand for food in the world, but the presence of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities has become a major health concern for consumers and is associated with problems of food safety. Thus, the present study determined pesticide residues (17 organochlorine, 5 pyrethroid and 3 organophosphate) in 77 fish feed, 112 fish and 135 vegetables samples (total of 324) from the different locations in Bangladesh, using quick easy cheap effective rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The 77 fish feed samples analyzed with this method appeared to be free of pyrethroid pesticide residues. Organochlorine pesticide residues aldrin (0.03 ± 0.01 mg/kg) and pyrethroid pesticide residues permethrin (0.08 ± 0.01 mg/kg) were detected in fish samples of catla (Catla catla) from Rajshahi Durgapur and bata (Labeo bata) from Satkhira Kaligonj, respectively. Among 135 vegetable samples (country bean, green chili, tomato, eggplants and red amaranth), 27.4% were found positive for organophosphate pesticide residues of which 89.2% exceeded maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The study revealed that few fish (catla and bata) but the majority of vegetable samples tested positive for pesticide residues exceeding MRLs. Finally, the study suggests that an effective management strategy is needed for strict regulation and regular monitoring of pesticides in fish feed, fish and vegetables to make aware the farmers and consumers about the harmful effect of pesticides on human health.
Dried fish and fishery products provide important and affordable dietary sources of animal protei... more Dried fish and fishery products provide important and affordable dietary sources of animal protein. The present study compared the sensory, microbial, and biochemical quality of bombay duck (Harpadon nehereous) dried fish produced using improved versus traditional open‐air drying method. The sensory, microbial, and biochemical quality was determined following quality index, total plate count (TPC), and Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) method, respectively. The sensory quality results indicate highly acceptable dried fish with the improved method compared to traditional method at both initial and storage condition. The microbial load (APC, TEC, TViC, and TSC) of improved dried fish was within internationally permissible microbiological standards for food whereas traditionally dried fish exceeded the permissible limit. The biochemical composition (protein, lipid, ash, and moisture) of improved dried fish had better nutritional value than the traditional dried fish. After 60 days storage time, samples packaged under HDPE conditions exhibited excellent organoleptic characteristics, lower microbial load, and lower biochemical decomposition than samples packaged in LDPE. The above results confirmed that the solar chimney dryer produced superior quality of dried fish compared to the traditional open‐air drying method both initially and after storage, while packaging dried fish under HDPE conditions extended shelf life further.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Nov 2, 2021
The chemical contaminants in dried fish are of great food safety concern and an emerging public h... more The chemical contaminants in dried fish are of great food safety concern and an emerging public health issue in Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to assess the public health risk associated with exposure to pesticides (organochlorine and organophosphorus) and heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic) through the consumption of dried fish (Bombay duck, ribbon fish, silver jewfish, shrimp, Chinese promfret) in coastal districts (Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Bhola, Patuakhali, Khulna) of Bangladesh. Dried fish consumption data were collected from 500 adult respondents (100 from each district) using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Pesticide residues were determined using QuEChERS extraction coupled to gas chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and heavy metals were estimated using an atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. The results revealed that the frequency and amount of dried fish consumption was highest for Bombay duck in Cox’s Bazar (11.57 g/capita/day) and ribbon fish (12.10 g/capita/day) in Chittagong. The estimated daily intake (EDI, 7.40 × 10−5 to 1.10 × 10−4 mg/kg/day) and health risk index (HRI, 0.013 to 0.16) values expressed no health risk from pesticide residues in all the positive samples. For heavy metals, target hazard quotients (THQ) for non-carcinogenic health risk were below 1 (0.001–0.154), indicating no health risk for all samples. However, carcinogenic risk R value indicated a potential health risk for chromium (2.64 × 10−6 to 4.06 × 10−6), and carcinogenic RT value (2.82 × 10−6 to 5.71 × 10−6) indicated a potential health risk for all the metals. It is concluded that the risk of exposure to pesticides through the consumption of dried fish is low, while heavy metals pose moderate-to-high health risks to dried fish consumers in the study area. Thus, the study suggests an appropriate risk management policy that controls pesticides and heavy metals in dried fish to ensure safe food for local and global consumers, underpinned by a producers’ capacity building and consumers’ awareness raising strategy.
Fish have been harvested in the reservoirs and canals of irrigation systems for at least two mill... more Fish have been harvested in the reservoirs and canals of irrigation systems for at least two millennia, yielding substantial fish harvests. These are important sources of protein and livelihoods for the poor and landless households, yet the current use of irrigation systems and floodplains for fish production falls far short of potential. Simultaneously, the world’s water resources are under increasing pressure from agriculture, industry and domestic consumption. Efforts to increase the productivity of water ‘per drop’ have focused primarily on agriculture production, despite the potential for fisheries and aquaculture production to generate an important source of food with minimal consumptive water use. Floodplains are also under threat from conversion to agriculture, and the diversion of water to supply alternative industries. Floodplain aquaculture represents an alternative use of floodplain resources that has the potential to enhance water productivity, increase employment oppor...
Since the 1980's, tilapia aquaculture has expanded rapidly in Egypt, making it now Africa'... more Since the 1980's, tilapia aquaculture has expanded rapidly in Egypt, making it now Africa's largest tilapia producer and the third largest in the world. In recent years, genetically improved Nile tilapia strains contributed important catalysts in these advancements. Providing superior growth rates and more efficient feed conversion, the release of the Abbassa strain in 2013 has since triggered an accelerated growth in national production. Despite this, concerns have been voiced over current trajectories of market development. Some claim pricing and value chain arrangements are leading farmers to target higher income by harvesting larger tilapia grades that fetch higher profit per kg of fish. Meanwhile, recent periods of political instability have produced major fluctuations in food markets and meat prices in particular. Economic pressures have affected resource-poor groups more significantly, with reports indicating malnutrition rates rising among lower-income communities in...
Abstract A number of studies have highlighted the promising growth of Egyptian tilapia aquacultur... more Abstract A number of studies have highlighted the promising growth of Egyptian tilapia aquaculture and the role of genetically improved strains in this development, such as the Abbassa Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Linneaus, 1758). However, few studies have explored the link between aquaculture development and changes in fish demand among low-income consumers. This study combines household budgeting questionnaires and morphometric tilapia trait rankings conducted in the peak market season of 2017 to examine patterns of tilapia consumption and preferences among low-income women and men consumers across Egypt. Analysis of variance tests and a hierarchical logistic regression model were employed to determine effects of sex, age, educational status, household size, presence of children, food dependency ratio and location on tilapia consumption and trait preferences. Results showed significant differences in tilapia consumption between Lower and Upper Egypt. Greatest heterogeneity in tilapia trait rankings was found in preferences for total body weight, as well as for body width, body length and tilapia head traits. Models predicted that younger women consumers with children in Lower Egypt were more likely to consume smaller tilapia sizes and prefer larger tilapia head traits. This study offers the first evidence base of tilapia trait preferences of low-income consumers to genetic selection programmes considering the adoption of pro-poor and gender-responsive breeding objectives.
A pattern of major temporal and spatial variation in the availability of wild fish is apparent in... more A pattern of major temporal and spatial variation in the availability of wild fish is apparent in both northeast Thailand and Cambodia (AIT Aqua Outreach Program). The climate and resulting fluctuations in annual flooding appear to be the main determinants influencing the abundance of wild fish. This is the likely cause of an observed trend in expansion and then contraction of interest in aquaculture with demand for aquaculture being strongest in areas with poorer water resources and a shortage of wild fish. Stocking fish in these areas is characterized by minimum inputs of both feed and labour in a context of high levels of out-migration and an aging farm population. Relatively extensive trap pond systems, found in rice based agriculture systems throughout northeast Thailand and Cambodia, and more intensive pond-dike Integrated Agriculture Aquaculture systems (IAAs), which are well developed in Sisaket province, northeast Thailand, offer options for diversification of rice based fa...
The use of pesticides in agricultural sectors is rising due to the growing demand for food in the... more The use of pesticides in agricultural sectors is rising due to the growing demand for food in the world, but the presence of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities has become a major health concern for consumers and is associated with problems of food safety. Thus, the present study determined pesticide residues (17 organochlorine, 5 pyrethroid and 3 organophosphate) in 77 fish feed, 112 fish and 135 vegetables samples (total of 324) from the different locations in Bangladesh, using quick easy cheap effective rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The 77 fish feed samples analyzed with this method appeared to be free of pyrethroid pesticide residues. Organochlorine pesticide residues aldrin (0.03 ± 0.01 mg/kg) and pyrethroid pesticide residues permethrin (0.08 ± 0.01 mg/kg) were detected in fish samples of catla (Catla catla) from Rajshahi Durgapur and bata (Labeo bata) from Satkhira Kaligonj, respectively. Among 135 vegetable samples (country bean, green chili, tomato, eggplants and red amaranth), 27.4% were found positive for organophosphate pesticide residues of which 89.2% exceeded maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The study revealed that few fish (catla and bata) but the majority of vegetable samples tested positive for pesticide residues exceeding MRLs. Finally, the study suggests that an effective management strategy is needed for strict regulation and regular monitoring of pesticides in fish feed, fish and vegetables to make aware the farmers and consumers about the harmful effect of pesticides on human health.
Dried fish and fishery products provide important and affordable dietary sources of animal protei... more Dried fish and fishery products provide important and affordable dietary sources of animal protein. The present study compared the sensory, microbial, and biochemical quality of bombay duck (Harpadon nehereous) dried fish produced using improved versus traditional open‐air drying method. The sensory, microbial, and biochemical quality was determined following quality index, total plate count (TPC), and Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) method, respectively. The sensory quality results indicate highly acceptable dried fish with the improved method compared to traditional method at both initial and storage condition. The microbial load (APC, TEC, TViC, and TSC) of improved dried fish was within internationally permissible microbiological standards for food whereas traditionally dried fish exceeded the permissible limit. The biochemical composition (protein, lipid, ash, and moisture) of improved dried fish had better nutritional value than the traditional dried fish. After 60 days storage time, samples packaged under HDPE conditions exhibited excellent organoleptic characteristics, lower microbial load, and lower biochemical decomposition than samples packaged in LDPE. The above results confirmed that the solar chimney dryer produced superior quality of dried fish compared to the traditional open‐air drying method both initially and after storage, while packaging dried fish under HDPE conditions extended shelf life further.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Nov 2, 2021
The chemical contaminants in dried fish are of great food safety concern and an emerging public h... more The chemical contaminants in dried fish are of great food safety concern and an emerging public health issue in Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to assess the public health risk associated with exposure to pesticides (organochlorine and organophosphorus) and heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic) through the consumption of dried fish (Bombay duck, ribbon fish, silver jewfish, shrimp, Chinese promfret) in coastal districts (Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Bhola, Patuakhali, Khulna) of Bangladesh. Dried fish consumption data were collected from 500 adult respondents (100 from each district) using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Pesticide residues were determined using QuEChERS extraction coupled to gas chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and heavy metals were estimated using an atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. The results revealed that the frequency and amount of dried fish consumption was highest for Bombay duck in Cox’s Bazar (11.57 g/capita/day) and ribbon fish (12.10 g/capita/day) in Chittagong. The estimated daily intake (EDI, 7.40 × 10−5 to 1.10 × 10−4 mg/kg/day) and health risk index (HRI, 0.013 to 0.16) values expressed no health risk from pesticide residues in all the positive samples. For heavy metals, target hazard quotients (THQ) for non-carcinogenic health risk were below 1 (0.001–0.154), indicating no health risk for all samples. However, carcinogenic risk R value indicated a potential health risk for chromium (2.64 × 10−6 to 4.06 × 10−6), and carcinogenic RT value (2.82 × 10−6 to 5.71 × 10−6) indicated a potential health risk for all the metals. It is concluded that the risk of exposure to pesticides through the consumption of dried fish is low, while heavy metals pose moderate-to-high health risks to dried fish consumers in the study area. Thus, the study suggests an appropriate risk management policy that controls pesticides and heavy metals in dried fish to ensure safe food for local and global consumers, underpinned by a producers’ capacity building and consumers’ awareness raising strategy.
Fish have been harvested in the reservoirs and canals of irrigation systems for at least two mill... more Fish have been harvested in the reservoirs and canals of irrigation systems for at least two millennia, yielding substantial fish harvests. These are important sources of protein and livelihoods for the poor and landless households, yet the current use of irrigation systems and floodplains for fish production falls far short of potential. Simultaneously, the world’s water resources are under increasing pressure from agriculture, industry and domestic consumption. Efforts to increase the productivity of water ‘per drop’ have focused primarily on agriculture production, despite the potential for fisheries and aquaculture production to generate an important source of food with minimal consumptive water use. Floodplains are also under threat from conversion to agriculture, and the diversion of water to supply alternative industries. Floodplain aquaculture represents an alternative use of floodplain resources that has the potential to enhance water productivity, increase employment oppor...
Since the 1980's, tilapia aquaculture has expanded rapidly in Egypt, making it now Africa'... more Since the 1980's, tilapia aquaculture has expanded rapidly in Egypt, making it now Africa's largest tilapia producer and the third largest in the world. In recent years, genetically improved Nile tilapia strains contributed important catalysts in these advancements. Providing superior growth rates and more efficient feed conversion, the release of the Abbassa strain in 2013 has since triggered an accelerated growth in national production. Despite this, concerns have been voiced over current trajectories of market development. Some claim pricing and value chain arrangements are leading farmers to target higher income by harvesting larger tilapia grades that fetch higher profit per kg of fish. Meanwhile, recent periods of political instability have produced major fluctuations in food markets and meat prices in particular. Economic pressures have affected resource-poor groups more significantly, with reports indicating malnutrition rates rising among lower-income communities in...
Abstract A number of studies have highlighted the promising growth of Egyptian tilapia aquacultur... more Abstract A number of studies have highlighted the promising growth of Egyptian tilapia aquaculture and the role of genetically improved strains in this development, such as the Abbassa Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Linneaus, 1758). However, few studies have explored the link between aquaculture development and changes in fish demand among low-income consumers. This study combines household budgeting questionnaires and morphometric tilapia trait rankings conducted in the peak market season of 2017 to examine patterns of tilapia consumption and preferences among low-income women and men consumers across Egypt. Analysis of variance tests and a hierarchical logistic regression model were employed to determine effects of sex, age, educational status, household size, presence of children, food dependency ratio and location on tilapia consumption and trait preferences. Results showed significant differences in tilapia consumption between Lower and Upper Egypt. Greatest heterogeneity in tilapia trait rankings was found in preferences for total body weight, as well as for body width, body length and tilapia head traits. Models predicted that younger women consumers with children in Lower Egypt were more likely to consume smaller tilapia sizes and prefer larger tilapia head traits. This study offers the first evidence base of tilapia trait preferences of low-income consumers to genetic selection programmes considering the adoption of pro-poor and gender-responsive breeding objectives.
A pattern of major temporal and spatial variation in the availability of wild fish is apparent in... more A pattern of major temporal and spatial variation in the availability of wild fish is apparent in both northeast Thailand and Cambodia (AIT Aqua Outreach Program). The climate and resulting fluctuations in annual flooding appear to be the main determinants influencing the abundance of wild fish. This is the likely cause of an observed trend in expansion and then contraction of interest in aquaculture with demand for aquaculture being strongest in areas with poorer water resources and a shortage of wild fish. Stocking fish in these areas is characterized by minimum inputs of both feed and labour in a context of high levels of out-migration and an aging farm population. Relatively extensive trap pond systems, found in rice based agriculture systems throughout northeast Thailand and Cambodia, and more intensive pond-dike Integrated Agriculture Aquaculture systems (IAAs), which are well developed in Sisaket province, northeast Thailand, offer options for diversification of rice based fa...
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