Impacts of chlorpyrifos (an organophosphate pesticide) in fish

Pesticides are one of the most potentially harmful toxic chemicals introduced into the environment. Though they have contributed considerably to human welfare, their adverse effects on non-target organisms are quite significant. Aquatic ecosystems that run through agricultural or industrial areas have high probability of being contaminated by runoff and ground water leaching by a variety of toxic pesticides which pose a potential direct threat to freshwater organisms, particularly to sensitive animals, such as fish. Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide and is highly toxic to freshwater fish. Fish have an important role in the food chain; therefore, investigation of the effects of toxic pesticides such as chlorpyrifos on fish has a diagnostic significance in evaluation of negative effects of pesticides to human health. Keeping in view of the above facts, in this review, an attempt has been made to elucidate the adverse impact of chlorpyrifos on the fish.