The research project involves a detailed investigation on the contamination of rivers and coastal waters of Fiji of POPs and PBDEs by the use of freshwater mussels and seawater shellfish as bio-indicators. These mussels and shellfish were chosen as bio-indicators since these were valuable daily food for coastal.rivers-side dwellers and also a major source of daily earnings for most Fiji families. Many of the agricultural activities in Fiji would se the rise in levels of pesticide residues in its rivers as well as the lagoons. Many of these toxic compounds are bio-accumulated within the tissues of biota to concentrations above the above ambient levels in the environment. Funding for the project was provided for by the University Research Committee.

Part of the analysis was carried out at the Orebro University in Sweden under Professor Bert van Bavel and Professor Gunilla Lindstrom.

Project team: Votadroka, W., Aalbersberg, W., Lal, V., van Bavel, B., Lindstrom, G. and Husby, B.