title: From catchment to fish: Impact of anthropogenic pressures on gill histopathology.
abstract: Gill histopathology was investigated in barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei) and nase (Pseudochondrostoma sp.) in sub-catchments of Paiva River (Portugal) located upstream and downstream of a Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). Multivariate statistical analyses were performed to set up correlations between the species sample (n=24) and injury types (8). The results discriminate well edema and vasodilatation between reference (upstream) and disturbed (downstream) samples. Using a watershed model, time series of physico-chemical parameters and heavy metal concentrations were calibrated and validated for the entire Paiva River basin as to investigate the relationship between water quality and the gill histopathology results. Increased concentrations of heavy metal downstream, specifically of zinc and lead, coincided with a higher severity of histopathological alterations in the fish gills. Significant but less evident relationship between water quality parameters and severity of gill injuries in the analyzed fish species were also observed for fecal coliforms, water temperature and manganese. Notwithstanding the location of the samples upstream and downstream of the WWTP, contamination of Paiva River and its effect on gill injuries cannot be disconnected from other punctual and diffuse pollution sources acting in different sectors within the watershed, namely agriculture and forest management. The severity of histopathological alterations in the fish gills reflected differences in the type and concentration of contaminants in Paiva River, and consequently can be viewed as valuable indicator of water quality.
authors: Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors: A R
authors: AR
authors: Fonseca
authors: Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Engineering, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Ap. 1013, 5001-801 Vial Real, Portugal.
authors: L F
authors: LF
authors: Sanches Fernandes
authors: Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Biology and Environment, UTAD, Portugal.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Fontainhas-Fernandes
authors: Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Biology and Environment, UTAD, Portugal.
authors: S M
authors: SM
authors: Monteiro
authors: Chemistry Research Centre, Vila Real, Portugal; Department of Geology, UTAD, Portugal.
authors: F A L
authors: FAL
authors: Pacheco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003530:Cyprinidae; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005880:Gills / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D011174:Portugal; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Gill histopathology; HSPF model; Heavy metals; Holistic approach; Water quality