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Research article2018Peer reviewed

Complex effects of pollution on fish in major rivers in the Czech Republic

Burkina, Viktoriia; Zamaratskaia, Galia; Sakalli, Sidika; Pham Thai Giang; Kodes, Vit; Grabic, Roman; Velisek, Josef; Turek, Jan; Kolarova, Jitka; Zlabek, Vladimir; Randak, Tomas

Abstract

Monitoring the contamination level in aquatic environments and assessing the impact on aquatic life occurs throughout the world. In the present study, an approach based on a combination of biomarkers and the distribution of various industrial and municipal pollutants was used to investigate the effect of aquatic environmental contamination on fish. Monitoring was performed in ten rivers in the Czech Republic (Berounka, Dyje, Elbe, Luznice, Odra, Ohre, Otava, Sazava, Svratka, and Vltava rivers, with one or two locations in each river) at the same sites that were regularly monitored within the Czech National Monitoring Program in 2007-2011. Health status, hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, total cytochrome P450 content, and the plasma vitellogenin concentration were assessed in wild chub (Squalius cephalus) males caught at the monitored sites. The contamination level was the highest in the Svratka River downstream of Brno. Among all measured persistent organic pollutants (POPs), polychlorinated biphenyls and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites were the major contributors of POPs in fish muscle. Elbe, Odra, and Svratka rivers were identified as the most polluted. Fish from these locations showed reduced gonad size, increased vitellogenin concentration in male plasma, EROD, and total cytochrome P450 content. These biomarkers can be used for future environmental monitoring assessments. Overall, this study improves our understanding of the relationship between human activities and pollutant loads and further contributes to the decision to support local watershed managers to protect water quality in this region.

Keywords

Biomarker; EROD; Vitellogenin; Passive sampling; Biomonitoring; Chub

Published in

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
2018, Volume: 164, pages: 92-99 Publisher: ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

      Sustainable Development Goals

      SDG14 Life below water

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Environmental Sciences
      Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.07.109

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/97141