Survey of residues of organochlorine pesticides in some marketable Egyptian fish.

One hundred random samples representing 34 species of marketable fish were collected from 8 Egyptian governorates during the period March 1986 to March 1988 and were analyzed for the presence of some organochlorine pesticides. The results showed the predominance of beta-BHC and lindane at maximum levels of 435.30 and 59.00 micrograms/kg, respectively, for fish samples obtained from Damietta governorate. The corresponding levels of aldrin, and o,p'-DDT were 34.27 and 734.10 micrograms/kg, respectively, for fish from the Red Sea governorate. gamma-Chlordane, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDT were found in fish from Ismailia governorate at respective maximum levels of 36.17, 234.40, and 57.19 microgram/kg. Heptachlor was identified at 8.50 micrograms/kg in Port Said governorate fish and o,p'-DDE at 10.59 micrograms/kg in Suez governorate fish. Mirex, on the other hand, could not be detected in any of the samples investigated.