title: Evaluation of the Health Status of the Silverside (Odontesthes bonariensis) at a RAMSAR Site in South America.
abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the health status of an economic and ecologically important fish species from Mar Chiquita Lake, a RAMSAR site located in Cordoba, Argentina, relative to the levels of selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in lake water and fish tissues. Odontesthes bonariensis was used as a model species, and its health was estimated by means of histological indices in gills and liver. Sampling was performed according to rainy and dry seasons (i.e. dry, rainy and post-rainy). Gill and liver histopathology were evaluated by semi-quantitative indices and morphometric analysis. Although epithelial lifting in gills and lipid degeneration in liver were frequently registered, they are considered as reversible if environmental conditions improve. During rainy and post-rainy seasons fish presented significantly higher scores of liver and total indices. These higher index scores were correlated with increased levels of POPs in gill and liver tissue. Therefore, preventive measures are needed to mitigate the entry of these compounds into the lake.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (CONICET-UNC) and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sársfield 299, Córdoba,, X5000JJC, Argentina.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ballesteros
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (CONICET-UNC) and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sársfield 299, Córdoba,, X5000JJC, Argentina.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hued
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología y Contaminación Ambiental Funes 3350, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), UNMdP, CONICET, Mar del Plata, B7602AYL, Argentina.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología y Contaminación Ambiental Funes 3350, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), UNMdP, CONICET, Mar del Plata, B7602AYL, Argentina.
authors.forename: K S B
authors.initials: KSB
authors.lastname: Miglioranza
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (CONICET-UNC) and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sársfield 299, Córdoba,, X5000JJC, Argentina. mbistoni@unc.edu.ar.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bistoni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D004463:Ecology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes; D005880:Gills / Q000737:chemistry; D060106:Lakes; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D012621:Seasons; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000502:physiology*; D013020:South America; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Health status; Histological indices; Odontesthes bonariensis; Persistent Organic Pollutants