The Bihar government has imposed a 15-day ban on the sale of fish in Patna. The move came after the toxic chemicals like formalin, lead and cadmium were detected in samples that were tested. These chemicals, which are used illegally to preserve seafood from decomposition, are known to cause cancer.

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The ban on the sale of fish in the Bihar capital was announced on Monday by the Health Department. "Sale of fish in Patna has been stopped for the next 15 days after high amount of formalin was found in 7 out of 10 fish samples, and heavy metals like lead and cadmium were found in all 10 samples of fish collected in Patna," Bihar's Health Secretary Sanjay Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Formalin is a mix of formaldehyde and methanol that is used to preserve dead bodies, especially in mortuaries. It is a known cause of cancers, especially leukaemia. The use of formalin by fish sellers has been documented in multiple parts of the country. Fish catch is used to preserve the fish from decomposition, which helps sell older stocks as fresh ones.

Symptoms that may be caused by the consumption of food laced with formalin include nausea, bouts of coughing, and burning in the eyes, nose and throat. While these are symptoms that typically manifest in the short term, formalin can cause cancer if its consumption is sustained over a long period of time.

The tests in Patna also revealed the presence of heavy metals like cadmium and lead in all the fish samples. These make it extremely dangerous for those who consume such fish.

Formalin has emerged as a key hazard for parts of the country that love their fish. In July 2018, for instance, the Goa government launched a crackdown on fish stocks which contained formalin. A month earlier, Kerala government officials had seized close to 9,600 kg of contaminated sea food at border checkposts.