Emilia Strzyżewska

Histopathology of liver and kidneys of wild living Mallards Anas platyrhynchos and Coots Fulica atra with considerable concentrations of lead and cadmium

Concentrations of cadmium and lead were measured in liver and kidneys of Mallard (n=60) and Coot (n=50). Free living birds were collected by hunters in years 2006-2008 in the area of fishponds near Zator in southern Poland. Age group was determined according to the appearance of the plumage (Mallards) and iris color (Coot). Concentrations of metals were measured with ET-AA spectrometer. Among all birds specimens with negligible (n=5) and high concentrations (Mallards n=18 and Coots n=17) of cadmium and lead were chosen for further analysis. Histopathological alterations were observed, ranging from circulatory disturbances, retrogressive changes, inflammations to leukocytic infiltration in liver and kidney. They dominated among birds with the highest concentrations of metals. The control group of birds was characterized by a very small number of mentioned lesions. Probably the higher cadmium and lead concentrations in tissues are co-factors in the development of lesions.

Morphologic evaluation of the gills as a tool in the diagnostics of pathological conditions in fish and pollution in the aquatic environment: a review

Fish gills, owing to their status as a multifunctional organ, have always fascinated researchers. In spite of the intense work done on the morphologic examination of gills, the organ is relatively under-used in health evaluation in fish. The existing literature on this topic is reviewed here. Our review summarises important diagnostic guidelines for the examination of gill structure and describes the morphological lesions that develop under the influence of different biological and physicochemical factors. The picture that should emerge is that of an organ that is extremely sensitive to all types of handling and unfavourable changes in the external and internal environments. We conclude that studying the morphology of the fish gills provides an opportunity to assess fish health status as well as information on possible health hazards coming from their environment.