Evaluation of the Health Status of the Silverside (Odontesthes bonariensis) at a RAMSAR Site in South America

BALLESTEROS, M.LAURA; HUED, ANDREA C; GONZALEZ, MARIANA; MIGLIORANZA, KARINA SILVIA BEATRIZ; BISTONI, MA. DE LOS ANGELES

BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2017

0007-4861

The objective of this work was to evaluatethe health status of an economic and ecologically importantfish species from Mar Chiquita Lake, a RAMSARsite located in Cordoba, Argentina, relative to the levels ofselected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in lake waterand fish tissues. Odontesthes bonariensis was used as amodel species, and its health was estimated by means ofhistological indices in gills and liver. Sampling was performedaccording to rainy and dry seasons (i.e. dry, rainyand post-rainy). Gill and liver histopathology were evaluatedby semi-quantitative indices and morphometric analysis.Although epithelial lifting in gills and lipid degenerationin liver were frequently registered, they are consideredas reversible if environmental conditions improve. Duringrainy and post-rainy seasons fish presented significantlyhigher scores of liver and total indices. These higher indexscores were correlated with increased levels of POPs in gilland liver tissue. Therefore, preventive measures are neededto mitigate the entry of these compounds into the lake.