Chennai: City researchers have developed a database of chemicals used in aquaculture that could help researchers and regulators identify risks, improve monitoring and support chemical management.ReCAnt (Resource on Chemicals used in Aquaculture and their Ecotoxicity), developed at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), in collaboration with the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), brings together information on 690 chemicals reported in aquaculture.It compiles data on their therapeutic and toxic effects, environmental fate, movement through food webs and regulatory status across multiple countries.The database addresses an information gap in aquaculture, a sector reliant on antibiotics, disinfectants, pesticides, anaesthetics and water-treatment agents to prevent disease and improve production. These chemicals can accumulate in organisms, and potentially affect human health.Published in Cell Reports Sustainability, the study found information that was scattered across literature and databases, and made it more accessible. ReCAnt is available for free at https://cb.imsc.res.in/recant/.“It provides data on their structural and physicochemical characteristics and integrates information from toxicological database,” said Areejit Samal, corresponding author.The study found limited documented regulatory information in the literature. Of 605 chemicals for which the curated literature was reviewed for regulatory information, 558 had none reported, while 47 had at least one reported status.Cross-referencing with established regulatory lists brought the number of chemicals with some associated regulatory information to 57. Researchers cautioned the assessment was not exhaustive and the absence of regulatory information did not mean a chemical was unregulated.The resource could be adapted to specific aquaculture systems to screen chemicals of potential concern for monitoring and risk assessment.“It supports informed decision-making and promotes sustainable chemical management aligned with One Health principles, safeguarding aquatic ecosystems, food security, and human health,” said Shreyes Rajan Madgaonkar, first author of the study.
