PM15 Biomarkers
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(PM223) Biochemical and Histophatological Changes in Caged Fish Exposed to Pulp and Paper Mill Effluent In Situ.
Soares, C1, Bagio-Martins, L1, Paiva, A1, 1 Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
ABSTRACT- The sub-basin of the Canoas River represents one of the most important hydrographic basins of Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The river runs through an extensive area directly involved with pulp and paper mill and also with agricultural plantations. Therefore, the river receives considerable amounts of effluent containing highly pollutant chemical agents. The aims of this work were to evaluate possible changes in serum enzymes and metabolites in adult caged tilapia (Oreochrmis niloticus) from the Canoas river in the vicinity of a pulp and paper mill, and to verify if there was a correlation with the organochlorine level. Additionally, histophatological analysis of liver and branquia were carried out. Blood parameters were highly modified in fish exposed to river water. The plasma glucose and cholesterol levels of the caged tilapia changed along the fish exposition period. These parameters presented higher values than those of the control. In the same direction, the increased plasma triacylglycerol can also indicate a new physiologic condition characterized by a larger energy mobilization. ALT activity did not vary along the exposition period ( 60 days). On the other hand, AST activity decreased and alkaline phosphatase activity increased along the same period. Cholinesterase activity presented a quite high medium deviation (+/- 300 U/L). The obtained results seem to indicate that the presence of the agricultural defensive was not important in the present study. The plasma enzyme activities in caged tilapia were correlated with the phenol level in the Canoas river waters. In same period, hyperplasia of secondary lamellae of the gills from slight (second week) to severe (fourth-fifth weeks) were found. Hyperplasia in the hepatic tissue, which exhibited areas of vacuolation, were also found in the effluent-exposed fishes. Morphological signs of intracellular content loss in addition to cells with displaced nuclei or surrounded by vacuoles could be observed.
Key words: river, tilapia, histopathological, serum enzymes