Cytological Alterations in Red Blood Cells of Oiled Magellanic Penguins

ROMERO, M.B.; DOLAGARATZ CARRICAVUR, ARANTXA; CHIODI BOUDET, L.N.; POLIZZI, P.; GERPE, M.

Congreso; SETAC Latin America 14th Biennial Meeting; 2021

Crude oil is one of the most widespread pollutant released into the marine environment causing a wide range of biological effects in marine species, including birds. The hematological changes serve as an early indicator for screening the toxic impacts of pollutants on tissues. Toxic substances could induce damage to the red blood cells (RBC) that could lead to abnormalities in the cellular morphology. Mean number, prevalence, and intensity of cytological alteration in RBC, such as anisocytosis and poikilocytosis, were correlated with pollutants including PAHs. Within seabirds, penguins are widely used as biomonitors of the state of the ecosystem. Being long-lived and predatory at the top of the trophic webs, they are exposed to numerous stressors that can result in the accumulation of these pollutants in their tissues, with possible consequences on health. In particular, Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) is the most important marine bird as a tourist resource on the Argentine coast. This species is categorized as Near Threatened on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This responds to the fact that many populations are being affected by fishing activities, chronic oiling and global climate change.The aim was to evaluate cytological alterations frequency in oiled Magellanic penguin as biomarkers of cytotoxicity. Peripheral blood samples of oiled (n=29) penguins were taken during 2011 and 2013 in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Giemsa-stained blood smears were used for estimation of abnormality in RBCs including anisocytosis, poikilocytosis, hypochromasia, polychromasia and erythroplastids. Areas with a clear distribution of erythrocytes were identified for each slide as a well-defined and separate cytoplasm. Areas which presented overlapping cells were not taken into consideration. Additionally, hematocrit and lipid peroxidation, as TBARs levels, were determined for each penguin. Our hypothesis is that RBC cytotoxicity is associated to chronic oiling condition in Magellanic penguins, presenting higher frequency of cell abnormalities. Furthermore, these alterations are correlated with low hematocrit and high levels of lipid peroxidation.