Thomas L. Bauer

Histopathological, hematological, condition-factor, and organ weight changes associated with selenium accumulation in fish from Belews Lake, North Carolina.

Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) were collected from two study sites in Belews Lake, North Carolina, for assessment of correlations between several biological parameters and bioaccumulation of selenium. The fish had elevated concentrations of selenium in the hepatopancreas (liver) and exhibited histopathological and other manifestations of selenium poisoning. Condition-factors of Belews Lake fish were significantly correlated with selenium concentrations in hepatopancreas and skeletal muscle, indicative of capillary permeability changes and resultant edema, supported by the occurrence of significantly increased hepatopancreas-weight-to-body weight ratios in the fish having the higher tissue selenium levels. Gill lamellae were noticeably swollen and vacuolated. Hematocrits of the selenium-contaminated fish were significantly lower than those of the reference fish. The hepatopancreas exhibited lymphocyte infiltration, vacuolation of parenchymal hepatocytes around the central veins, and increased numbers of Kupffer cells. The mesonephros exhibited focal intra-capillary proliferative glomerulonephritis. Hearts showed swollen, inflammatory cell-filled pericardial spaces, diagnosed as possible uremia-induced pericarditis. Ovaries in fish with the higher liver selenium levels exhibited numerous necrotic and ruptured egg follicles. These conditions were observed in the Belews Lake Site 2 fish, but did not occur in reference green sunfish, nor did they occur consistently in fish from the less-contaminated Belews Lake Site 1.

Selenium accumulation and cytotoxicity in teleosts following chronic, environmental exposure

M a r t i n Lake is a 5000 a c r e r e s e r v o i r l o c a t e d in Rusk mad P a n o l a c o u n t i e s in e a s t Texas . F r o m S e p t e m b e r 1978 to May 1979, t h i s l a k e was r e p o r t e d to r e c e i v e aqueous , s e l e n i u m l a d e n e f f l u e n t f rom s y s t e m s used to c o l l e c t f ly ash, s c r u b b e r s ludge , and b o t t o m ash (R.W. L O W E R RE, p e r s o n a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n ) . The absence of n o t e w o r t h y d e t r i m e n t a l p h y s i c o c h e m i c a l p a r a m e t e r s and p e s t i c i d e c o n t a m i n a t i o n in t h e l a k e w a t e r was c o n f i r m e d . Numerous s t ud i e s show t h a t se l en ium is a c c u m u l a t e d to tox ic or l e t h a l l e v e l s in t e l e o s t s p e c i e s (NIELSEN and NIELSEN 1978, S A K U R A Y A M A 1960, ELLIS et al . 1937~ H A L T E R et al. 19809 C A R D W E L L e t al. 1976, A D A M S 1976) and t h a t h i s t o p a t h o l o g i c a l , h e m a t o l o g i c a l , and o t h e r c h a r a c t e r i s t i c changes can r e s u l t f rom s e l e n i u m exposu re (ELLIS e t ai. 1937, H A L T E R et al. 1980, C A R D W E L L et al. 1976). In a c o n t i n u e d e f f o r t to m o n i t o r s e l en ium burdens in c r i t i c a l t i s sues of M a r t i n L a k e f i shes and to e s t a b l i s h b i o l o g i c a l c o r r e l a t e s to t h e s e bu rdens , t h i s s t u d y was u n d e r t a k e n u t i l i z i n g two m e m b e r s of t h e C e n t r a r c h i d a e f a m i l y c o m m o n to T e x a s l a k e s and r e s e r v o i r s . F i sh of the s a m e s p e c i e s were c o l l e c t e d f rom r e f e r e n c e l a k e s for c o m p a r i s o n .

Determination of 28 elements in American cigarette tobacco by neutron-activation analysis

The concentrations of 28 toxic and other elements in cigarette tobacco of twelve brands commercially manufactured in the USA were determined using instrumental neutron-activation analysis. The elements determined were Al, As, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sr, Th, Ti, V and Zn. The concentrations of the determined elements in the American cigarettes were compared with the elemental concentrations reported for Iranian, Pakistani and Japanese brands. It was concluded that the concentrations of As, Br, Ca, Eu, K and Zn in the samples under investigation are lower than those reported for the analysis of University of Kentucky reference cigarettes, whereas the concentrations of Mn and Na are higher. The contents of Al, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, La, Sb, Sc and Se are similar to those in the reference cigarettes.

Elemental composition of Nigerian harmattan dust

Six samples of harmattan dust collected over three seasons of harmattan in Nigeria were analyzed for 29 elements by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The mean concentrations are (in μg/g): Al, 61100; As, 6.59; Au, 0.16; Ba, 695; Br, 195; Ce, 122; Cl, 6200; Co, 20.9; Cr, 119; Cs, 2.72; Eu, 1.31; Fe, 43 1000; Ga, 21.9; Hf, 8.05; K, 15700; La, 53.9; Mg, 8700; Mn, 825; Na, 6400; Rb, 82.4; Sb, 32.7; Sc, 10.3; Se, 6.61; Sm, 6.50; Th, 14.0; Ti, 4900; U, 6.28; V, 81.6; Zn, 2200. The results are compared to similar recent studies in the German Democratic Republic.

Hematological dyscrasia in teleosts chronically exposed to selenium-laden effluent

Lepomis microlophus (redear sunfish) were collected from Martin Lake, an east Texas reservoir, as well as a reference lake 8 km upstream in the same drainage system. Martin Lake received aqueous selenium-laden effluent from electrical generator plant systems used to collect fly ash, scrubber sludge, and bottom ash; the reference lake received no such effluent (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, unpublished report). Neutron activation analysis was used to monitor selenium levels in the hepatopancreas (i.e., the liver and associated, disseminated exocrine pancreas), which is one of the major organs used in monitoring selenium exposure. Fish collected from areas adjacent to the selenium-discharge sites in Martin Lake accumulated about 19.8 ppm in the hepatopancreas, compared to approximately 8.4 ppm for fish collected further from the discharge site. Reference redear sunfish accumulated normal levels of 1.8 ppm in the hepatopancreas. Hematological abnormalities were most severe for fish collected from areas adjacent to the selenium discharge site. These abnormalities included altered leukocyte distribution with elevated numbers of hemoblasts, reduced hematocrits, lower hemoglobin concentrations, slightly reduced numbers of erythrocytes, 12% and 23% reductions in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), respectively, and microcytic, poikilocytic erythrocytes with elevated numbers of nuclear shadows. These data present a striking illustration of a case in which the hematological characteristics of a freshwater teleost were correlated with selenium accumulation in a critical organ following chronic selenium exposure. Hematological data provided a sensitive indicator of the severity of the impact of selenium-laden generator plant effluent on this teleost species.

A correlation between selenium accumulation in sunfish and changes in condition factor and organ weight

Abstract To monitor the biological impact of chronic, low-level selenium exposure, redear sunfish Lepomis microlophus were collected from various locations in Martin Lake which had received discharges of selenium-containing wastes from an electrical generating station operation. For comparison, reference redear sunfish were sampled from one uncontaminated lake 8 km upstream in the same drainage system. Those fish collected from Martin Lake locations (which were recognized selenium discharge sites) accumulated the highest levels of selenium in various organs and had significantly reduced condition factors and hepatopancreas-weight-to-body-weight ratios. Linear regression analyses of these data indicated that the Martin Lake fish which accumulated the highest levels of selenium in the hepatopancreas had the lowest condition factors and the smallest hepatopancreas-weight-to-body-weight ratios. Such biological changes could result from selenium-induced toxic effects such as anorexia, poor feed-to-grain conversion ratios, and/or stunting.

Determination of trace element impurities in aspirin tablets by neutron activation analysis

Twenty five trace and minor elements (aluminium, arsenic, barium, bromine, cerium, chlorine, cobalt, chromium, cesium, europium, iron, hafnium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, rubidium, antimony, scandium, selenium, strontium, thorium, titanium, vanadium and zinc) in five different Egyptian aspirin brands (Aspo, Askin, Aspocid, Aspeol and Rivo) have been determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. It has been concluded that the concentration of arsenic, barium, bromine, cobalt, chromium, iron (except in Aspocid), magnesium, manganese, rubidium, selenium, strontium and zinc in the Egyptian brands is below or within the concentration range reported for these elements in 16 American aspirin and aspirin-like brands.