Two Age Groups of Adult Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) as Bioindicators of Aquatic Pollution
2023
Authors:
Nikolić, DušanPoleksić, Vesna
Tasić, Aleksandra
Smederevac-Lalić, Marija
Đikanović, Vesna
Rašković, Božidar
Document Type:
Article (Published version)
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract:
Pikeperch of age classes 3+ and 4+ were collected from the Garaši reservoir (Serbia)
to analyze their bioindicator potential and compare their possible differences. Concentrations of
26 elements were determined in gills, muscles, and liver by inductively-coupled plasma optical
emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and of 17 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and six polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) in muscle by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS).
Histopathological changes in the liver and gills were analyzed as biomarkers of general fish health.
Only the concentrations of Cd, Na, and P in the muscles differed significantly. The OCPs and
PCBs concentrations were below the detection limits, so fish meat consumption does not pose a risk
concerning these substances. Hg and Cd exceeded the maximum allowed concentrations in some
4+ individuals, probably due to biomagnification. Gills were the most affected by metal exposure in
both age classes. Histopathological changes and indices were minor and did not differ significantly
between age classes, suggesting that pollution did not affect the morphology and structure of gills and
liver. There were no significant correlations between elemental accumulation and fish condition or
between histopathological scores. Therefore, both age classes can be used as bioindicators of pollution.
Keywords:
fish; age class; toxic elements; organochlorine pesticides; bioaccumulation; histological alterationsSource:
Sustainability, 2023, 15, 14, 11321-Funding / projects:
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200007 (University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković') (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200007)
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200053 (University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research) (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200053)
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200116 (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture) (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200116)
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200030 (Scientific Veterinary Institute of Serbia, Belgrade) (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200030)