Photo credit: Ratha Grimes

A study from researchers in Ghana found that levels of pesticides contaminating reservoirs could be high enough that consuming fish from those waterways poses a significant risk to human health. The study looked at fish from the Tono Reservoir in Ghana, measuring levels of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticide residues in the fish, sediments, and water. Findings showed organochlorine pesticide residues in four species of fish, and organophosphate residues in three species of fish. Examining the health risk to consumers of eating these fish, researchers found that the Trunkfish (Marcusenius senegalensis)—often harvested for human consumption—had levels of aldrin that are so high they “had great potential for systemic toxicity to consumers.”