Occurrence of residues of the veterinary drug crystal (gentian) violet in wild eels caught downstream from municipal sewage treatment plants
Andrea Schuetze A , Thomas Heberer B D and Susanne Juergensen CA Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Section for Residues of Medicinal Products, Diedersdorfer Weg 1, D-12277 Berlin, Germany.
B Lower Saxony Federal State Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES), Food Institute Oldenburg, Martin-Niemöller-Str. 2, D-26133 Oldenburg, Germany.
C Berlin Fishery Board, Havelchaussee 149/151, D-14055 Berlin, Germany.
D Corresponding author. Email: Thomas.Heberer@laves.niedersachsen.de
Environmental Chemistry 5(3) 194-199 https://doi.org/10.1071/EN08008
Submitted: 21 January 2008 Accepted: 16 April 2008 Published: 19 June 2008
Environmental context. Crystal violet (CV), also known as gentian violet, is a triphenylmethane dye used as a veterinary drug for the treatment of ornamental fish infected with the parasitic protozoa Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. CV is a suspected carcinogen not registered for use with food-producing animals in the European Union, Australia, the US and some other countries. The results from this study now demonstrate that residues of leuco CV, the main metabolite of CV, may occur as an organic contaminant in samples of wild eels caused by discharges of municipal sewage effluents.
Abstract. Crystal violet (CV) and leucocrystal violet (LCV) were found in the tissues of wild eels caught from surface waters under the influence of effluents discharged by municipal sewage treatment plants (STPs). LCV was the dominant residue detected with total concentrations up to 6.7 μg kg–1 fresh weight in tissues of eels caught from lakes, rivers and a canal in Berlin, Germany. The occurrence of the residues found in 35 out of 45 samples could directly be linked to the presence of discharges by municipal STPs into the receiving surface waters. CV is a multiple-use compound that is also used as a biological stain and to colour materials such as textiles, paints and printing inks. Thus, it seems very likely that the residues of CV found in the eel samples originate from such uses and from legal uses of CV as a veterinary drug for the treatment of ornamental fish. The results obtained from this study are the first report of background contamination by CV found in samples of fish not intentionally treated with this agent. Although the residues of CV and LCV measured in the tissues of the eels were very low, an oral exposure to residues of CV or LCV should be avoided with regard to their mutagenic and carcinogenic potential. According to European Union law, zero tolerance applies to all residues of CV and LCV found in food for human consumption, as CV is not registered for use as a veterinary drug.
Additional keywords: contamination, fish, LC-MS/MS, leucocrystal violet, pharmaceutical, risk assessment.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) for financing this project. Further thanks go to Mr. Kuester from the Berlin Fishery Board for supplying the eel samples as well as to Christel Rozycki, Ines Schirrmann and Natalie Batt for their practical assistance.
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