The fish absorb fenitrothion quickly during the earlier stages, and the concentration of the pesticide decreased in the fish 24 h after application. When fish are exposed to fenitrothion, they both absorb and accumulated and degrade and eliminate the chemical. Accumulation and elimination of fenitrothion are kept in a dynamic balance. In a polluted environment, toxic pollutants are concentrated and accumulated by fish. When the fish are in a nonpolluted environment, the chemical is eliminated.
Fish are an important part of the food chain.
Fenitrothion was accumulated in the polluted ricefield ecosystem. Different fish concentrated the fenitrothion at different rates. Experiments were also carried out to determine the rate of fish purification. Table 8 shows the results of the purification experiments. Although the pesticide broke down quickly in the fish and the ricefields, these purification measures could speed up the elimination of pesticides from the fish.