Jean Laroche, Olivier Gauthier, Louis Quiniou, Alain Devaux, Sylvie Bony, Estérine Evrard, Jérôme Cachot, Yan Chérel, Thibaut Larcher, Ricardo Riso, Vianney Pichereau, Marie Hélène Devier, Hélène Budzinski
The objective was to describe and model variation patterns in individual fish responses to contaminants among estuaries, season and gender. Two hundred twenty-seven adult European flounders were collected in two seasons (winter and summer) in four estuaries along the Bay of Biscay (South West France), focusing on a pristine system (the Ster), vs. three estuaries displaying contrasted levels of contaminants (the Vilaine, Loire and Gironde). Twenty-three variables were measured by fish, considering the load of contaminants (liver metals, liver and muscle persistent organic pollutants, muscle polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons); the gene expression (Cyt C oxydase, ATPase, BHMT, Cyt P450 1A1, ferritin); the blood genotoxicity (Comet test); and liver histology (foci of cellular alteration-tumour, steatosis, inflammation, abnormal glycogen storage)...
February 2013: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International