Abstract
Environmental pollution caused by pesticides, especially in aquatic ecosystems, has become a serious problem. Due to their extensive use in agriculture and their persistence, many of these compounds are present in surface and ground waters and must be considered a potential risk for aquatic organisms as well as for drinking water quality.
The effects of prometryn at concentrations of 0.51 (reported concentration in Czech rivers), 8.0, and 80 µg/L were assessed in one-year-old common carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed for 14, 30, and 60 days. Influence on biometric parameters, hematology, biochemistry and histology was investigated. After 60 days exposure to 8.0 and 80 µg/L of prometryn, significantly lower spleen weight and lactate levels and higher values of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration relative to controls was observed. After 30 and 60 days exposure, the aspartate aminotransferase, calcium, magnesium, and inorganic phosphate levels were lower, while creatine and alanine aminotransferase activity was higher than in controls. Glucose was significantly higher after exposure to 80 µg/L after 30 and 60 days and after 60 days exposure to 8.0 µg/L. Renal histology revealed severe hyaline degeneration of the epithelial cells of caudal kidney tubules in fish at all exposure levels. The results of this study indicate that chronic exposure to prometryn altered multiple physiological indices in fish blood. Selected blood parameters could be used as potential biomarkers for monitoring residual triazine pesticides in the aquatic environment.
This research was supported by the CENAQUA CZ.1.05/2.1.00/01.0024, USB (GAJU) 047/2010/Z, QH82117 and CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0024.
