PESTICIDE RISKS OF SEAFOOD IN TURKEY

Turkey is a rich country in terms of seas and inland water sources. The aquatic ecosystems in Turkey are threatened by the agricultural activities and pesticide contamination.  In parallel to the world, the use of pesticides began in the 1940s in Turkey. In the beginning of 1970’s some pesticides have prohibited by reason of their accumulation to environment and food chains, toxic effects on non-target organisms. Pesticides can easily be included to the food chain in the aquatic environment which causes many risks on human health and food safety. There are still not enough data on the concentrations of pesticides in seafood and fish in Turkey.