Parasitological Analysis and Gill Histopathology of Pearl Dace (Semotilus Margarita) and Brook Stickleback (Culaea Inconstans) Collected from the Athabasca Oil Sands Area (Canada)

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology 2017-06, Vol.98 (6), p.733-739
• Main Authors: Raine, J. C., Pietrock, M., Willner, K., Chung, K., Turcotte, D., Parrott, J. L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alberta; Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Chemical contamination; Culaea inconstans; Cyprinidae - parasitology; Downstream; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental quality; Fish; Fish oils; Gills - parasitology; Gills - pathology; Histology; Histopathology; Lamellae; Life history; Oil and Gas Fields; Oil sands; Parasites; Pollution; Rivers; Semotilus margarita; Smegmamorpha - parasitology; Soil Science & Conservation; Tributaries; Upstream; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-017-2078-6

Pearl dace ( Semotilus margarita ) and brook stickleback ( Culaea inconstans ) were collected from tributaries of the Athabasca River (Alberta, Canada), upstream (reference site) and downstream of oil sands deposits where fish were expected to be exposed to naturally occurring oil sands constituents. The objective was to determine if fish collected from these sites exhibited differences in the prevalence or intensity of infection by parasites or in gill histology. Dace did not display significant differences in these parameters. Alternately, upstream stickleback were predominantly infected by complex life history parasites, while downstream fish were primarily infected by parasites with simpler life histories. Moreover, downstream stickleback exhibited significantly more clubbing and aneurysms in secondary gill lamellae relative to upstream fish. This suggested a difference in habitat quality between upstream and downstream sites. However, based on basic body condition parameters of the fish, it would appear that any impacts upon the health of the fish due to the presence of naturally occurring oil sands associated chemical constituents would have been minor.