title: Histopathological baseline levels and confounding factors in common sole (Solea solea) for marine environmental risk assessment.
abstract: Liver and gonad histopathology, biometric parameters and hepatic metal bioaccumulation were assessed monthly over a one-year period in common soles from the Basque continental shelf, in order to determine baseline levels and confounding factors within biomonitoring studies. Biometric parameters and hepatic metal bioaccumulation varied according to season and gender. Accordingly, hepatic histopathological traits presented seasonal variations related to the reproductive cycle. However, the hepatic histopathological index showed that seasonality and gender were not significant confounding factors. Conversely, the gonad histopathological index was modulated by season and gender. As for organ comparison, the liver endured more severe histopathological damage than the gonad. In brief, the sampling period and gender may not affect the estimation of hepatic histopathological indices for biomonitoring purposes. Nonetheless, due to different sensitivities to environmental 'noise' variables, the sampling period and gender differentiation should be thoroughly considered for the assessment of gonad histopathology, biometrics and metal bioaccumulation.
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Txatxarramendi Ugartea z/g, 48395, Sukarrieta, Spain. Electronic address: nagore.cuevas@mail.com.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110, Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zorita
authors.affiliation: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110, Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larreta
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110, Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franco
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005412:Flatfishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006066:Gonads / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Basque continental shelf; Flatfish; Histopathology; Metal bioaccumulation; Reference values; Seasonality