Changes in non-specific biomarkers in the Mediterranean barbel (Barbus meridionalis) exposed to sewage effluents in a Mediterranean stream (Catalonia, NE Spain)

MacEda-veiga, Alberto, Monroy, Mario, Viscor, Ginés and De Sostoa, Adolfo 2010. Changes in non-specific biomarkers in the Mediterranean barbel (Barbus meridionalis) exposed to sewage effluents in a Mediterranean stream (Catalonia, NE Spain). Aquatic Toxicology 100 (3) , pp. 229-237. 10.1016/j.aquatox.2010.07.014

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

The effluents from sewage treatment plants strongly influence the water quality and flow of Mediterranean streams. These effluents play a crucial role in maintaining the aquatic communities of these ecosystems, particularly in the absence of natural flow resulting from climate constraints or intensive water use. To detect the ecological effects of these effluents, we used non-lethal biomarkers in Barbus meridionalis and traditional assessment protocols in the Ripoll River (NE of Spain). Our results demonstrate the utility of haematological parameters. In comparison with fish at reference sites, we detected a decrease in haematocrit and haemoglobin, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, monocytosis, a rise in the nucleo-cytoplasmatic ratio of erythrocytes and an increase in the frequency of abnormal, immature and senescent erythrocytes. Many haematological parameters correlated significantly with the environmental parameters measured. In addition to these haematological alterations, histopathological examination also revealed damage in fish livers but no impact was detected by the regional index of biotic integrity using fish as bioindicators. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report this battery of haematological parameters as biomarkers on a freshwater fish in a Mediterranean stream. In a region in which more than 50% of native fish species are classified as endangered or vulnerable, there is an urgent need to find biomarkers that do not harm the animals.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0166-445X
Last Modified:	19 Mar 2016 23:44
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/63253

Citation Data

Cited 41 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item