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Riochemical and physiological effects in farmed Baltic salmon fed lipids containing xenobiotics extracted from Baltic herring

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Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Health

Abstract

During a 2-year experimental period female baltic salmon (Salmo salar) were fed pellets impregnated with oil extracted from Baltic herring (Clupea harengus). This extract contained lipid-soluble xenobiotics present in Baltic herring, which constitute a major part of the natural diet of Baltic salmon. The fish were examined at the time of ovulation in November each year. After 2 years of feeding, the load of polychlorinated dibenzo-paradioxins and furans in the exposed group was about twice that in the control group, but still low compared with concentrations in feral Baltic salmon. In spite of the relatively low exposure level, several vital biochemical functions were disturbed in the treated fish. Organic skeletal variables were affected indicating that the bone metabolism had been altered. Furthermore, the activities of enzymes involved in steroid biosynthesis were affected, which could lead to disturbances in reproductive functions. Splenocytes from exposed fish sampled in November 1990 showed a reduced mitogenic response, indicating that their immune system was suppressed. Feeding the salmon with pollutant-impregnated pellets also resulted in an induction of the hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity after only 6 weeks of exposure. Likewise, morphological abnormalities, i.e. hypertrophic hepatocytes and various stages of hepatic degeneration, were already apparent after 6 weeks of exposure. However, no EROD induction or morphological responses were recorded at the second and third sampling event, i.e. after one and 2 years of exposure, respectively. this could indicate that some physiological functions may adapt to a restricted xenobiotic load.

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Author notes

  1. Bengt-Erik Bengtsson

    Present address: Laboratory of Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Institute of Applied Environmental Research, University of Stockholm, Studsvik, S-611 82, Nyköping, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoophysiology, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, S-413 90, Göteborg, Sweden

    Tommy Andersson

  2. Aquatic Toxicology Section, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, S-611 82, Nyköping, Sweden

    Bengt-Erik Bengtsson & Åke Larsson

  3. Institute of Environmental Chemistry, University of Umeå, S-901 83, Umeå, Sweden

    Per-Anders Bergqvist

  4. Department of Aquaculture, Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, S-901 83, Umeå, Sweden

    Torleif Eriksson

  5. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, S-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden

    Leif Norrgren

  6. Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Box 21061, S-100 31, Stockholm

    Leif Norrgren

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  1. Tommy Andersson
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Andersson, T., Bengtsson, BE., Bergqvist, PA. et al. Riochemical and physiological effects in farmed Baltic salmon fed lipids containing xenobiotics extracted from Baltic herring. J Aquat Ecosyst Stress Recov 2, 185–196 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00047768

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