Journal of Environmental Biology

Pesticide residue analyses and biomarker responses of native Costa Rican fish of the Poeciliidae and Cichlidae families to assess environmental impacts of pesticides in Palo Verde National Park

F. Mena¹*,? M. Fern?ndez San Juan², B. Campos², J. S?nchez-?vila², M. Faria^2,3, M. Pinnock¹,

E. de la Cruz, S. Lacorte, A.M.V.M.Soares and C. Barata²

¹Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances/Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias T?xicas (IRET)

Universidad Nacional, Campus Omar Dengo, 3000, Heredia, Costa Rica

²Department of Environmental Chemistry, ID?A-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain

³CESAM & Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

*Corresponding Author E-mail: fmena@una.ac.cr 

 Publication Data

Paper received:

08 March 2013

Revised received:

12 June 2013

Accepted:

05 September 2013

Abstract

Pesticide chemical residues in water samples and biomarker responses in transplanted fish were used to monitor environmental hazards of pesticides in Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica). The Costarican fish, Parachromis dovii (Ciclhidae) and Poecilia gillii (Poecillidae) were selected as sentinel species. Contaminant analyses detected up to 15 different pesticide residues in water with hexachlobenzene (2261 ng l^-1), phorate (473 ng l^-1), epoxiconazole (314) and bromacil (117 ng l^-1) being the compounds found in higher concentrations. Biomarker responses evidenced impacts on cholinesterase activities in transplanted fish at Barbudal site probably due to the presence of organophosphate insecticides such as phorate. High enzyme activities of glutathione S-transferase and catalase and elevated levels of lipid peroxides were also observed at a site impacted by rice fields (Cabuyo); those effects could be associated with the presence of hexachloro benzene and triazole fungicides. In general, P. dovii biomarkers were affected to a greater extent than those of P. gillii in fish transplanted to sites associated with agriculture, which suggests the former species is a good candidate for future surveys.

Key words

Biomarker, Costa Rica, Fish, Pesticides, Tropical, Water

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