ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7591-9269
Degree
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Major(s)
Chemical Engineering
Document Type
Immediate Campus-Only Restricted Access
Abstract
Mississippi is a leading producer of farm-raised catfish in the United States, making continued evaluation of product quality and chemical safety important to public health and consumer confidence. This exploratory study evaluated selected pesticide and metal contaminants in edible catfish samples using multiple analytical methods.
Twenty-six fresh and frozen catfish samples were collected from retail sources and selected local ponds and analyzed at the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory. Organic contaminants were extracted using a QuEChERS-based procedure, while samples for elemental analysis underwent microwave-assisted digestion. Analyses were performed using GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS, and ICP-MS.
Pesticide residues, including tribufos, bifenthrin, propiconazole, azoxystrobin, diuron and related metabolites, and thiamethoxam, were detected in a subset of samples. Most detected concentrations were low relative to applicable or available regulatory benchmarks. One pond-derived sample contained thiamethoxam at 131 ppb; because a commodity-specific tolerance for catfish was not established for direct comparison, this finding warrants additional investigation rather than interpretation as a regulatory violation. Chromium, arsenic, selenium, silver, cadmium, barium, lead, and mercury were also evaluated, with mercury concentrations below the applicable federal action level for edible fish.
These findings provide preliminary occurrence data to support continued analytical surveillance and risk-based monitoring of catfish and freshwater environments. Because of the limited sample size and mixed retail and pond sources, the results are not intended to characterize contaminant prevalence across the Mississippi commercial catfish industry.
Date Defended
5-1-2026
Thesis Director
Dr. Erika Womack
Second Committee Member
Dr. Chiquita Price
Third Committee Member
Dr. Eric Vivier
Recommended Citation
Raynor, Madeline A., "Evaluation of Chemical Contaminants and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Catfish" (2026). Honors Theses. 197.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/honorstheses/197
Rights Statement
"Evaluation of Chemical Contaminants and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Catfish", Copyright 2026 by Madeline Raynor. My thesis may be used for non-profit educational and research purposes.
