title: Environmental hazard of yperite released at sea: sublethal toxic effects on fish.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential toxicological effects on fish related to the leakage of yperite from rusted bomb shells dumped at sea. Both in vivo and field studies have been performed. As for the in vivo experiment, specimen of European eel were subcutaneously injected with 0.015, 0.15 and 1.5mg/kg of yperite and sacrificed after 24 and 48 h. In the field study, specimen of Conger eel were collected from a dumping site in the Southern Adriatic Sea. The presence/absence of yperite in tissues, genotoxicity, detoxification enzymes, histological alterations and gross abnormalities were investigated. Results of the in vivo experiment showed a significant increase of EROD activity at both 24h and 48 h. UGT activity increased significantly at 48 h post injection. An acute inflammatory response after 24h in skin layers and muscle was observed, associated to cell degeneration and necrosis after 48 h at the highest dose. On field, comet assay revealed genotoxicity in gills of fish from the dumping site. Specimen from the dumping site showed significantly higher EROD activities compared to controls, deep ulcers and papules on skin together with liver and spleen histopathological lesions.
authors: Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. dellatorre2@unisi.it
authors: Camilla
authors: C
authors: Della Torre
authors: Tommaso
authors: T
authors: Petochi
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Farchi
authors: Ilaria
authors: I
authors: Corsi
authors: Maria Maddalena
authors: MM
authors: Dinardo
authors: Valerio
authors: V
authors: Sammarini
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Alcaro
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Mechelli
authors: Silvano
authors: S
authors: Focardi
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Tursi
authors: Giovanna
authors: G
authors: Marino
authors: Ezio
authors: E
authors: Amato
mesh_terms: D000811:Anguilla / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000633:toxicity*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D009151:Mustard Gas