Gonadal sensitivity of Barbus balcanicus Kotlik, Tsigenopoulos, Rab & Berberi, 2002 (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes) to aquatic pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Growing pressures from aquatic pollution and the increasing vulnerability of aquatic organisms lead to frequent disturbances in the health of aquatic ecosystems. This study aimed to investigate the gonadal tissue of the fish Barbus balcanicus as a tool to identify the effects of water contamination on freshwater organisms. Within this context, quantitative analyses of the elements Cd, Pb, Ni, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu in water, sediment, and gonads, microbiological analyses of water, and histopathological evaluations of gonad tissue were performed. Two different areas (S1 and S2) of the Miljacka River in Bosnia and Herzegovina were investigated. The results from Colilert-18 and Enterolert revealed that the water quality at S2 poses extremely high risks of total and fecal coliform contamination. The results also showed significant differences in heavy metal levels in the water, sediment, and inside fish gonads. Importantly, average concentrations of toxic heavy metals Cd and Pb in water at S2 were higher than the permissible values, respectively. As a result, higher values of metals in gonadal tissues and the metal pollution index were determined at site S2 in addition to severe histopathological alterations. Higher values of Cu, Fe, Zn, Cd, Ni, and Pb were recorded in both locations in testicle tissue compared to the ovaries. Nearly all bioaccumulation values in the testes are higher than in the ovary. Lastly, histopathological alterations were slightly higher in individuals from S2 than in those from S1. From the perspective of these findings, fish gonad sensitivity to pollutants and environmental disturbances could be useful indicators of environmental health.
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