Marine Pollution Bulletin Vol. 38, No. 7, pp.

604±612, 1999
Ó 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Printed in Great Britain
PII: S0025-326X(98)00190-8 0025-326X/99 $ ± see front matter

Persistent Organochlorine Residues in

Marine and Freshwater Fish in
Cambodia
IN MONIRITH *, HARUHIKO NAKATA , SHINSUKE TANABE and TOUCH SEANG TANAà
Department of Environment Conservation, Ehime University, Tarumi 3-5-7, Matsuyama 790-8566, Japan
àDepartment of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, # 186, RD Norodom Bvd., P.O. Box 582,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Concentrations of persistent organochlorines (OCs) such (Anderson, 1993). Some chemical companies in Asian
as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), DDT compounds region are still manufacturing OC pesticides such as
(DDTs), HCH (hexachlorocyclohexanes) isomers DDT and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH) (FCI edito-
(HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs) and HCB (hex- rial board, 1996).
achlorobenzene) were determined in 27 species of marine Contamination by PCBs and OC pesticides such as
and freshwater ®sh collected from Cambodia. DDT and DDTs, HCHs, chlordane compounds (CHLs), hex-
its derivatives were the predominantly detected com- achlorobenzene (HCB) has been reported in air, water
pounds in both marine and freshwater ®sh. PCBs were the (Iwata et al., 1993, 1994), foodstu€s (Kannan et al.,
second highest followed by HCHs, CHLs and HCB. 1997), wildlife (Ramesh et al., 1992; Tanabe et al., 1993;
Freshwater ®sh contained higher concentrations of DDTs Kan-Atireklap, 1997) and human breast milk (Tanabe
than those of marine ®sh, implying that the sources of et al., 1990; Schecter et al., 1991) in Asia and Oceania,
DDTs originate from inland watersheds such as the Me- and noticeable concentrations have been found in these
kong River, Basac River, Tonlesap River and Tonlesap regions. However, little information is available on OCs
Great Lake. Comparison of the OCs residue levels in pollution in Cambodia due to lack of a monitoring
Cambodian ®sh with those in other Asian and Oceanic system a€ected by a long-term civil war. To understand
regions suggested that Cambodia is one of the less-con- the status of OCs contamination in Cambodia, the
taminated countries by OCs. In other words, it can be present study examined residue levels in marine and
concluded that Cambodia has kept ``Clean Environment'' freshwater ®sh.
among Asian and Oceanic countries. Ó 1999 Elsevier
Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Materials and Methods
Keywords: organochlorine pesticides; PCBs; contamina- Samples
tion; ®sh; Cambodia. Fish samples were collected from two locations in
coastal area (Sihanouk Ville and Koh Kong Province)
Organochlorine (OC) pesticides and polychlorinated and three locations of riverine areas (Kompong Cham,
biphenyls (PCBs) have been of great concern due to Kompong Chhnang and Kandal Province including
their toxic e€ects on wildlife and human health. Some of Phnom Penh) in Cambodia during September and
these chemicals are considered to act like environmental October, 1997. Eleven species of marine and 16 species of
hormones which disturb the reproductive cycles of hu- freshwater ®sh caught by gill-net and seines, and were
mans and wildlife (Colborn and Smolen, 1996). Despite stored in deep-freezer at ÿ20°C. Whole body of one to
the ban and restriction on the usage of persistent OCs in three ®sh were homogenized using a homogenizer for
developed countries during the 1970s, some developing chemical analysis. Details of sampling location and ®sh
countries are still using for agricultural and public biometry analyzed are shown in Fig. 1 and Table 1,
health purposes because of their low cost and versatility respectively.
against various insects (Tanabe et al., 1994). It was also
reported that the share of world chemical export by Asia Chemical analysis
has increased from 3.1% to 8% during 1980±1991 Persistent OCs were analyzed following the method
described by Tanabe et al. (1987, 1994). Brie¯y, the
*Corresponding author. Tel.: 81 89 946 9904; fax: 81 89 946 9904; method involved Soxhlet extraction of homogenized
e-mail: [email protected] samples (20±25 g) with mixed solvents of diethyl ether

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Volume 38/Number 7/July 1999

Fig. 1 Map showing sampling locations of ®sh in Cambodia.

and hexane (3:1, 400 ml) using a Soxhlet apparatus for equivalent mixture of Kanechlor 300, 400, 500 and 600
7 h. Fat contents were determined by using KD (Kuder- was use as a standard (Tanabe et al., 1987). Concen-
na±Danish) concentrated aliquots of these extracts. The tration of individually resolved peaks of PCB isomers
remaining 5 ml of extract was transferred to a glass and congeners were summed to obtain total PCB con-
column (26 cm ´ 15 mm i.d.) packed with 20 g Florisil centration. OC pesticides were quanti®ed by comparing
(Flordin, USA), and the solvent was dried by passing a individual peak areas of sample with corresponding
gentle ¯ow of nitrogen. OCs adsorbed on Florisil were peak areas of the standard. Recoveries of OC pesticides
eluted with the mixture of 120 ml acetonitrile and 30 ml and total PCB through the analytical procedure were
hexane-washed water. The eluant was collected in a examined by spiking 40 ng of pesticide standard and 6.0
separatory funnel containing 100 ml of hexane and 600 lg of PCB standard into corn oil. The results were
ml of hexane-washed water. After shaking, the hexane 100 ‹ 12% for HCHs, 94 ‹ 5% for HCB, 103 ‹ 5% for
layer was concentrated to 6 ml and then cleaned with CHLs, 100 ‹ 7% for DDTs and 102 ‹ 9% for PCBs. A
equal volume of concentrated sulfuric acid. The cleaned procedural blank was run with every set of ®ve samples
extract was fractionated with a 12 g wet Florisil packed to check for secondary contamination.
in glass column. The ®rst fraction eluted with hexane
contained HCB, PCBs, p; p0 -DDE and trans-nonachlor,
while the second fraction eluted with 20% dichloro-
Results and Discussion
methane in hexane comprised of HCHs (a-, b-, c-iso- Status of contamination
mers), p; p0 -DDD, p; p0 -DDT and CHLs (cis-chlordane, PCBs and OC pesticides such as DDTs, HCHs, CHLs
trans-chlordane, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor and and HCB were detected in whole body homogenates of
oxychlordane). Each fraction was concentrated and ex- all the ®sh samples collected from inland and coastal
tracts were subjected to further clean-up with concen- waters of Cambodia. Concentrations of OCs are pre-
trated H2 SO4 . sented in Table 2 and Fig. 2. DDTs were the predomi-
Quanti®cation of OCs was made on a gas chro- nant contaminants with concentrations ranging from 0.5
matograph (Hewlett±Packard 5890 series II) equipped to 25 ng/g wet wt PCBs recorded second highest con-
with a 63 Ni electron capture detector and moving needle- centrations, containing 0.05±1.2 ng/g wet wt HCHs,
type injection port. The column consisted of fused silica CHLs and HCB accumulated at lower levels in ®sh
capillary (30 m ´ 0.25 mm i.d.) coated with DB-1 (100% ranging 0.01±0.22 ng/g, 0.1±0.34 ng/g and <0.01±0.32
dimethyl polysiloxane) stationary phase (J&W Scientif- ng/g wet wt, respectively. These results are almost sim-
ic, USA). The oven temperature was programmed from ilar to that found in a previous study (JSRC, 1996)
60°C (1 min hold) to 160°C (10 min hold) at the rate of which analysed OCs in some freshwater ®sh from
20°C/min and then to 260°C (15 min hold) at the rate of Cambodia.
2°C/min. Injector and detector temperatures were kept Concentrations of OCs measured in the present study
at 250°C and 280°C, respectively. Helium was used as were compared among ®ve locations of Cambodia
the carrier gas while nitrogen was the make-up gas. An (Table 3 and Figs. 3 and 4). DDTs were found to be

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 Marine Pollution Bulletin

TABLE 1
Biometry of ®sh collected from Cambodia during September and October, 1997.

Number Species name (scienti®c name) na Weight (g) Length (cm) Sampling location b

Marine ®sh
1 Tiger toothed croaker (Otolisthes ruber) 3 37 (31±48) 14.6 (13.7±16.1) Koh Kong Province (1)
2 White-spotted spinefoot (Siganus canaliculatus) 3 43 (38±50) 10.9 (10.1±12.0) Koh Kong Province (1)
3 Bluespot grey mullet (Valamugil seheli) 3 71 (68±72) 16.5 (16±16.9) Koh Kong Province (1)
4 Whip®n mojarra (Gerres ®lamentosus) 3 25 (20±33) 9.8 (9.2±10.8) Koh Kong Province (1)
5 Frigale mackerel (Auxis thazard) 3 72 (47±99) 19.4 (17±21.4) Koh Kong Province (1)
6 Norrow-barred Spanish mackerel 3 164 (142±177) 27 (26±28) Sihanouk ville (2)
(Scomberomorus commerson)
7 Obtuse barracuda (Shyraena obstusata) 3 167 (145±186) 29.3 (27.6±31.0) Sihanouk ville (2)
8 Chacunda gizzard-shad (Anodontostoma chacunda) 3 56 (54±59) 13.5 (13±13.5) Sihanouk ville (2)
9 Sharp-tooth snapper (Pristimoides typus) 3 95 (86±104) 16.7 (16.4±17.2) Sihanouk ville (2)
10 Malabar red snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus) 3 144 (130±169) 19.8 (18.9±20.8) Sihanouk ville (2)
11 Streaked spinefoot (Siganus javus) 3 166 (148±184) 18.7 (18.1±19.3) Sihanouk ville (2)

Freshwater ®sh
12 Striped snake-head ®sh (Channa striatus) 1 125 23.1 Kompong Chhnang (3)
13 Grey featherback (Notopterus notopterus) 1 95 23 Kompong Chhnang (3)
14 Whisker sheat®sh (Kryptopterus limpok) 3 38 (29±45) 15.6 (14.4±16.3) Kompong Chhnang (3)
15 Common sheat®sh (Kryptopterus apgon) 3 110 (106±116) 26.2 (26±26.5) Kompong Chhnang (3)
16 Marbled sleepy goby/sand goby 2 131 (128±134) 21.8 (21.4±22.1) Kompong Chhnang (3)
(Oxyeleotris marmoratus)
17 Armed spiny eel (Mastocembelus armatus) 1 167 36.5 Kompong Chhnang (3)
18 Freshwater eel (Fluta alba) 3 71 (64±86) 26.2 (26±26.5) Kompong Chhnang (3)
19 White lady carp (Thynnichthys thynnoides) 2 64 (62±66) 14.1 (14±14.1) Kompong Chhnang (3)
20 Smith barb (Puntioplites proetozysron) 2 56 (48±64) 12.5 (12.1±13.0) Kompong Chhnang (3)
21 Chhkok tituy c (Albulichthys albuloides) 3 101 (95±111) 18.1 (18±18.2) Kompong Chhnang (3)
22 Striped snake-head ®sh (Channa striatus) 2 76 (69±82) 18.7 (18.3±19.0) Kompong Cham (4)
23 Grey featherback (Notopterus notopterus) 2 95 (75±115) 22.2 (20.7±23.6) Kompong Cham (4)
24 Marbled sleepy goby/sand goby 1 235 24.8 Kompong Cham (4)
(Oxyeleotris marmoratus)
25 Armed spiny eel (Mastocembelus armatus) 2 107 (95±119) 33.7 (31.5±35.8) Kompong Cham (4)
26 Common silver barb (Puntius gonionotus) 2 45 (36±54) 12.1 (11.4±12.8) Kompong Cham (4)
27 Twisted jaw sheat®sh (Belodontichthys dinema) 1 74 22.7 Kompong Cham (4)
28 Yellow mystus (Mystu nemurus) 3 114 (97±133) 19.7 (18.5±21.5) Kompong Cham (4)
29 Common climbing perch (Anabas tetudineus) 3 32 (30±32) 11.1 (10.8±11.3) Kompong Cham (4)
30 Temminck's kissing gourami (Helostoma temmincki) 3 43 (38±50) 11.5 (11±12.2) Kompong Cham (4)
31 Small scale mud carp (Cirrhina microlepis) 3 33 (32±34) 13.4 (13.2±13.7) Kompong Cham (4)
32 White lady carp (Thynnichthys thynnoides) 1 41 12.6 Kandal (5)
33 Smith barb (Puntioplites proetozysron) 1 101 14.9 Kandal (5)
34 Common silver barb (Puntius gonionotus) 1 84 14.9 Kandal (5)
35 Twisted jaw sheat®sh (Belodontichthys dinema) 2 48 (47±48) 19.4 (19.1±19.7) Kandal (5)
a
Number of individuals homogenized.
b
Sampling site (see Fig. 1).
c
Local name.

higher in freshwater than in marine water ®sh. It sug- from Kompong Chhnang were collected during Sep-
gests the usage of DDTs in inland areas. Freshwater ®sh tember and October and thus may indicate higher con-
were collected from three locations, Kompong Cham, centration of DDTs. Similarly, ®sh collected from
Kompong Chhnang and Kandal Province, which belong Kompong Cham Province located in Mekong upper
to Mekong, Tonlesap and Basac River basins, respec- were also contaminated with DDTs at noticeable levels.
tively. Mean concentration of DDTs in Kompong The intensive agricultural activity in this area seems to
Chhnang showed 450 ng/g fat wt, approximately two to be the reason for elevated concentration of DDTs.
®ve times higher than in Kompong Cham (290 ng/g fat Composition of DDTs in Cambodian ®sh is given in
wt) and Kandal Province (100 ng/g fat wt; Fig. 3 and Fig. 5. Percentage of p; p0 -DDT were higher in marine
Table 3). The highest concentration of DDTs in Ko- ®sh from Sihanouk Ville than those of other locations.
mpong Chhnang suggests the current usage of DDTs in Higher ratio of p; p0 -DDT composition indicates the
the Tonlesap Great Lake region for agriculture and recent usage of DDT. This result implies the recent input
aquaculture purpose. In Cambodia, DDT has been used of DDT around Sihanouk Ville, although the residue
to control parasites of ®sh body in ®sh cage culture levels of DDTs were low (Table 3).
(Tana, 1996). Furthermore, this compound was used The concentrations of PCBs were either comparable
extensively during early rainy season (July to Septem- or slightly higher in marine ®sh than in freshwater ®sh
ber) to control insects (Tana, 1996). The freshwater ®sh (Table 3). Maximum concentration was found in ®sh

606
Volume 38/Number 7/July 1999

TABLE 2
Concentrations of PCBs and OC pesticides (ng/g wet wt) in ®sh collected from Cambodia during September and October, 1997.

Numbera Species name Sampling site Fat (%) PCBs HCHs DDTs CHLs HCB

Marine ®sh
1 Tiger-toothed croaker 1 3.2 0.46 0.10 2.6 0.14 0.02
2 White-spotted spinefoot 1 2.6 0.44 0.07 3.6 0.19 0.04
3 Bluespot grey mullet 1 7.5 0.53 0.22 1.1 0.23 0.18
4 Whip®n mojarra 1 1.9 0.07 0.02 0.3 < 0.01 < 0.01
5 Frigale mackerel 1 1.3 0.40 0.02 1.9 0.02 0.02
6 Norrow-barred Spanish mackerel 2 1.1 0.13 0.01 0.6 0.07 < 0.01
7 Obtuse barracuda 2 3.0 0.27 0.02 0.7 0.03 < 0.01
8 Chacunda gizzard-shad 2 3.5 0.15 0.03 0.3 0.01 < 0.01
9 Sharp-tooth snapper 2 2.9 0.61 0.04 1.5 0.06 0.02
10 Malabar red snapper 2 3.2 0.29 0.03 1.1 0.05 0.01
11 Streaked spinefoot 2 1.7 1.2 0.02 4.0 0.03 0.02
Freshwater ®sh
12 Striped snake-head ®sh 3 0.9 0.24 0.01 19 0.05 0.03
13 Grey featherback 3 0.7 0.17 0.02 6.7 0.04 0.03
14 Whisker sheat®sh 3 1.2 0.17 0.03 3.4 0.03 0.03
15 Common sheat®sh 3 3.1 0.60 0.04 9.7 0.07 0.06
16 Marbled sleepy goby/sand goby 3 0.7 0.16 0.03 2.0 0.05 0.01
17 Armed spiny eel 3 9.3 0.16 0.16 8.2 0.24 0.06
18 Freshwater eel 3 0.4 < 0.05 0.03 0.5 0.07 < 0.01
19 White lady carp 3 17 0.17 0.22 1.9 0.09 0.32
20 Smith barb 3 5.7 0.47 0.07 11 0.15 0.01
21 Chhkok tituy b 3 8.0 0.40 0.10 15 0.20 0.10
22 Striped snake-head ®sh 4 1.7 0.61 0.07 15 0.05 0.06
23 Grey featherback 4 2.1 0.16 0.05 3.2 0.07 0.05
24 Marbled sleepy goby/sand goby 4 3.8 0.18 0.01 11 0.05 0.09
25 Armed spiny eel 4 1.5 0.15 0.02 4.5 0.09 0.01
26 Common silver barb 4 11 0.12 0.16 2.7 0.11 0.08
27 Twisted jaw sheat®sh 4 4.4 0.42 0.07 20 0.20 0.11
28 Yellow mystus 4 5.9 1.0 0.05 25 0.35 0.27
29 Common climbing perch 4 8.6 0.26 0.10 7.0 0.07 0.10
30 Temminck's kissing gourami 4 7.1 0.29 0.10 7.3 0.10 0.10
31 Small scale mud carp 4 8.0 0.20 0.10 21 0.20 0.10
32 White lady carp 5 10 0.46 0.20 5.6 0.14 0.30
33 Smith barb 5 13 0.46 0.20 4.4 0.14 0.19
34 Common silver barb 5 9.3 0.44 0.07 4.5 0.19 0.14
35 Twisted jaw sheat®sh 5 1.3 0.23 0.04 4.0 0.06 0.01

Detection limit of OCs were 0.05 ng/g for PCBs, 0.1 ng/g for DDTs, 0.01 ng/g for HCHs, 0.01 ng/g for CHLs and 0.01 ng/g for HCB on wet wt basis.
a
Same as in the Number of Table 1.
b
Local name.

Fig. 2 Concentrations of OCs (ng/g wet wt) in ®sh collected from

Cambodia during September to October, 1997.

collected from Sihanouk Ville (21 ng/g fat wt). Heavy concentrations. There is no signi®cant di€erence of
trac of international boats and ship building factories HCHs, CHLs and HCB concentrations between inland
along this region might be the reason for higher PCBs and coastal ®sh, which suggests less local input or little

607
 Marine Pollution Bulletin

TABLE 3
Comparison of OC concentrations (ng/g fat wt) in ®sh among ®ve locations in Cambodia.

Location Number of Number of Fat (%) PCBs HCHs DDTs CHLs HCB
species samples

Koh Kong (marine) 5 15 3.3 a 15 2.2 79 3.2 1.2

(1.2±7.5) b (3.6±31) (1.2±3.1) (14±140) (0.1±7.4) (0.4±2.3)
Shihanouk Ville (marine) 6 18 2.6 21 1.1 68 2.2 0.6
(1.1±3.5) (4.3±72) (0.5±1.5) (8.0±240) (0.2±6.3) (0.3±1.0)
Kompong Chhnang (Tonlesap) 10 21 5.0 14 4 450 4.6 2.0
(0.4±17) (1.0±25) (1.0±7.5) (11±2000) (0.5±16) (0.2±4.0)
Kompong Cham (Mekong upper) 10 22 5.4 10 1.5 290 3.0 2.2
(1.5±11) (1.0±35) (0.16±4.0) (25±840) (1.0±6.0) (0.7±4.6)
Kandal (Mekong lower, 4 5 8.5 7.5 1.7 100 2.1 1.6
Tonlesap and Basac) (1.3±13) (3.5±17) (0.7±2.6) (34±270) (1.0±4.1) (0.7±3.0)
a
Mean.
b
Range.

Fig. 3 Comparison of DDTs concentrations in ®sh samples collected

among ®ve locations in Cambodia.

usage of these chemicals. In the composition of HCH Global comparison

isomers, a-HCH was the dominant, followed by b- and OCs concentrations in Cambodian ®sh were compared
c-isomers (Fig. 6). Low residue levels of HCHs and with those values reported for Asian and Oceanic coun-
higher a-HCH composition in ®sh may suggest their tries (Table 4). Generally, OCs concentrations seem to be
atmospheric transport to Cambodia from other Asian low in Cambodian ®sh than in other countries. DDTs
countries. Dave et al. (1996) pointed out that technical levels in Cambodian ®sh (0.51±25 ng/g wet wt) were lower
mixture of HCH is used in India even recently. Higher than those of Vietnam (3.9±76 ng/g wet wt), Indonesia
levels of HCH were detected from human breast milk (0.66±76 ng/g wet wt) and India (0.86±140 ng/g wet wt).
(Tanabe et al., 1990; Kalra et al., 1994), ®sh (Kannan Comparable or lower concentrations were only noted in
et al., 1995), bird (Tanabe et al., 1998) and drinking ®sh from Papua New Guinea (0.07±1.4 ng/g wet wt) and
water (Kumari et al., 1996) in India. Considering that Thailand (0.48±19 ng/g wet wt). These observations
HCH is rapidly evaporated and widespread by the at- suggest that DDTs have been used in some regions in
mospheric transport (Wania and Mackay, 1996), HCH Cambodia, but the total amount of usage is small as
concentration found in Cambodian sample is likely to be compared with other Asian and Oceanic countries.
re¯ected by the atmospheric transport from India Concentrations of PCBs in ®sh from Cambodia (0.05±
through the south-west monsoon. 1.2 ng/g) were one to two orders of magnitude lower

608
Volume 38/Number 7/July 1999

Fig. 4 Comparision of PCBs, CHLs, HCHs and HCB concentrations

in ®sh samples collected among ®ve locations in Cambodia.

Fig. 5 Compositions of DDT compounds in ®sh collected from

Cambodia.  : see Fig. 1; 1  35 : see Table 1.

609
610
TABLE 4
Mean and range (in parentheses) of OCs concentrations (ng/g) in ®sh from Cambodia and other Asian and Oceanian countries.

Countries Fat (%) PCBs DDTs HCHs CHLs HCB Reference

fat wt. wet wt. fat wt. wet wt. fat wt. wet wt. fat wt. wet wt. fat wt. wet wt.

Cambodia 5.3 13 0.36 300 8.1 2.0 0.08 3.4 0.11 1.6 0.09 Present study
(0.4±17) (0.05±1.2) (0.51±25) (0.01±0.22) (0.03±0.34) (< 0.01±0.32)
Cambodia 2.4 20 0.48 450 11 12 0.1 1.6 0.04 ND NDa JSRC, 1996
(0.32±7.3) (ND±2.4) (1.1±39) (ND±0.28) (ND±0.42)
Thailand 5.3 30 1.6 120 6.2 15 0.82 49 2.6 4.5 0.24 Kannan et al., 1995
(0.7±17) (0.8±2.7) (0.48±19) (0.22±1.8) (0.1±15) (0.01±2.1)
Vietnam 1.9 530 10 1400 26 95 1.8 5.8 0.11 2.6 0.05 Kannan et al., 1995
(0.61±8.0) (3.1±24) (3.9±76) (0.58±4.0) (< 0.01±0.35) (0.01±0.31)
Indonesia 3.0 87 2.6 900 28 24 0.73 15 0.45 1.6 0.05 Kannan et al., 1995
(1.3±6.6) (2.0±3.8) (0.66±76) (0.06±1.4) (0.25±0.69) (0.01±0.08)
India 2.4 150 3.5 630 15 1200 28 100 2.4 2.9 0.07 Kannan et al., 1995
(0.11±12) (0.38±110) (0.86±140) (0.18±380) (< 0.01±30) (< 0.1±0.55)
PNGb 0.68 1100 7.5 63 0.43 84 0.57 54 0.37 4.4 0.03 Kannan et al., 1995
(0.2±1.5) (0.8±16) (0.07±1.4) (0.18±16) (< 0.01±2.1) (< 0.01±0.05)
SIc 0.68 530 3.6 710 4.8 78 0.53 84 0.57 2.9 0.02 Kannan et al., 1995
(0.16±3.0) (0.66±15) (0.91±24) (0.23±1.9) (0.11±1.6) (0.01±0.06)
Australia 3.4 1600 55 650 22 10 0.34 1500 51 120 4.2 Kannan et al., 1995
(0.14±20) (0.22±720) (0.14±230) (< 0.01±2.1) (0.06±720) (< 0.01±60)
a
ND: Not detected.
b
Papua New Guinea.
c
Solomon Island.
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume 38/Number 7/July 1999

gesting the presence of local sources. Freshwater ®sh

showed higher DDT concentrations than the marine
water ®sh, indicating its usage for agriculture and
aquaculture in Mekong River basin. However, the res-
idue levels were apparently lower when compared with
those in other Asian and Oceanic countries. Residue
levels of PCBs, HCHs and CHLs in Cambodian ®sh
were also lower. Considering these observations, it can
be concluded that Cambodia is one of the countries to
have kept ``Clean Environment'' among Asian and
Oceanic regions. In order to avoid the disordered de-
velopment in future, the environmental conservation
planning on an international cooperative basis is ur-
gently requested to keep such a clean environment in
Cambodia.

The authors wish to thank Dr. K. Kannan (Michigan State University)

for his critical reading of this manuscript. We also thank Dr. K.
Senthilkumar for his helpful suggestions. This research was supported
by Toyota Foundation, Sotoshu Volunteer Association and Ministry
of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (Project No. 09041163).

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persistent organochlorine contaminants in cetaceans. Reviews of
Environmental Contamination and Taxicology 146, 91±172.
Dave, P. P. (1996) India: a generics giant. Farm Chemicals Interna-
tional November 10, 36±37.
FCI editorial board (1996) Marketing in the Asia-Paci®c. Farm
Chemicals Interternational September, 56±68.
Iwata, H., Tanabe, S., Sakai, N. and Tatsukawa, R. (1993) Distribu-
tion of persistent organochlorines in the Oceanic air and surface
seawater and the role of ocean on their global transport and fate.
Environmental Science and Technology 27, 1080±1098.
Iwata, H., Tanabe, S., Sakai, N., Nishimura, A. and Tatsukawa, R.
Fig. 6 Compositions of HCH compounds in ®sh collected from (1994) Geographical distribution of persistent organochlorines in
Cambodia.  : see Fig. 1; 1  35 : see Table 1. air, water and sediments from Asia and Oceania, and their
implications for global distribution from lower latitudes. Environ-
mental Pollution 85, 15±33.
than those in ®sh from Asian and Oceanic countries JSRC (1996) Basic study on the Environment of Cambodia. JSRC
Research Group for Cambodian Environment, 1±26.
such as Vietnam (3.1±24 ng/g), PNG (0.8±16 ng/g) and Kan-Atireklap, S. (1997) Pollution by butyltin and organochlorine
Australia (0.22±720 ng/g). This clearly suggests less us- compounds in mussel from some Asian countries. Ph. D. Thesis, 86
age of PCBs in Cambodia. Generally, PCBs contami- pp.
Kannan, K., Tanabe, S. and Tatsukawa, R. (1995) Geographical
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recently industrialized countries such as Australia, Hong Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in food
Kong, Taiwan and Japan than in developing nations. stu€s from Asian and Oceanic countries. Reveiws of Environmental
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Kalra, R. L., Singh, B. and Battu, R. S. (1994) Organochlorine
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Conclusion Schecter, A., Furst, P., F
urst, C., P
apke, O., Ball, M., Dai, L. C.,
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To our knowledge, this is the ®rst detailed research on V., Constable, J. D. and Charles, K. (1991) Dioxins, dibenzofurans
and selected chlorinated organic compounds in human milk and
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