Impact of pollutants on fish collected from different parts of Shatt Al-Arab River: a histopathological study

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2011-10, Vol.181 (1-4), p.175-182
• Main Authors: Yasser, Amaal Gh, Naser, Murtada D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Agrochemicals; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Atrophy; Bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; Blood vessels; Cartilage; Cyprinus carpio; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Edema; Environment; Environmental impact; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Fish; Fishes - physiology; Fresh water ecosystems; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Gills; Gills - drug effects; Gills - metabolism; Gills - pathology; Histopathology; Hydrocarbons; Hyperplasia; Indicator organisms; Iraq; Microscopy; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Oil refineries; Overfishing; Pathology; Pesticide application; Pesticides; Petrochemicals; Petrochemicals industry; Petroleum refineries; Pollutants; Pollution; Power plants; Pulp & paper industry; Refineries; Rivers - chemistry; Sewage; Sewer systems; Studies; Synecology; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water pollution
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1822-8

In this study, a total of 120 fish specimens of common carp (Cyprinus carpio), were caught at four different stations in Shatt Al-Arab (Hareer, Garmat Ali, Al-Maqal and Abual-Khasib). The histological changes in the gills of fish were detected microscopically. Results show that the Shatt Al-Arab is polluted by some different sources of pollutants including power stations, paper industry, oil refineries, petrochemical industry, chemical fertilizer companies and the sewage system and overfishing and the application of pesticides. As a result of these analyses, histopathological changes in the gills of fish specimens, such as hyperplasia, loss of regular shape of secondary lamellae, separation of lamellar epithelium, clavate structure, atrophy of secondary gills lamellae, necrosis, dilation of lamellar capillaries, loss of secondary lamellae, fusion of secondary lamellae, edema, proliferation of cartilage in primary lamellae and curving of primary lamellae, were observed. The histopathological changes in fish gill samples from the Hareer region were much more prevalent than samples caught from other stations.