Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing sectors in global food production and is expected to supply the majority of aquatic dietary protein by 2050 (Stentiford et al. (2020), FAO (2024)). The sector also supports millions of livelihoods worldwide, positioning it as a cornerstone of the blue economy. However, this rapid expansion is accompanied by substantial environmental and public-health challenges, particularly those arising from the use and release of chemicals within aquatic production systems. Antibiotics, disinfectants, pesticides, and other chemical inputs, together with emerging contaminants and residues, can persist in water, sediment, and biota, influencing fish health, food safety, and human exposure through aquatic food webs (Stentiford et al. (2022), Therese Budnik & Casteleyn (2020)).
A growing body of evidence highlights that patterns of chemical use and their environmental fate are central to achieving sustainable and resilient aquaculture systems (Stentiford et al. (2020)). Considered through a One Health lens, responsible chemical management is essential to protecting the interconnected health of aquatic ecosystems, farmed organisms, and human populations, while minimizing unintended chemical impacts across environmental compartments and food chains.
To bridge this gap, we present Resource on Chemicals Used in Aquaculture and Their Ecotoxicity (ReCAnt), a database of chemicals used in aquaculture. This database empowers researchers and other stakeholders by providing comprehensive chemical knowledge on these intentionally used chemicals, including:
- curated therapeutic use data and toxic effects data
- chemical structures and physicochemical properties
- molecular descriptors for machine-learning applications
- biotransformation pathways and toxicity profiles
- fate-related coefficients
- information on food-web transfer potential to inform bioaccumulation and trophic-level risks
By placing chemical data at the core of aquaculture science and management, this resource aims to accelerate research, support sustainable practices, and advance One Health outcomes, in which healthy aquatic ecosystems, safe food systems, and human wellbeing are mutually strengthened. The first version of the database was released in January 2026.
CITATION
If you use our resource, please cite the following research article:S. R. Madgaonkar, S. Vashishth, N. Chivukula, V. Garisetti, S. R. Marigoudar, K. V. Sharma & A. Samal*, A comprehensive resource on chemicals used in aquaculture and their ecotoxicity bioRxiv 2026.01.26.701529 (2026).
DISCLAIMER
ReCAnt is a database of chemicals used in aquaculture and their ecotoxic effects, compiled from published literature. The authors are not liable for any inaccuracies or omissions of any chemicals in this resource. Importantly, our sole goal to build this resource on chemicals used in aquaculture is to enable future basic research on this topic, and it does not necessarily reflect the views or objectives of our employers or funders.