Subject(s)
Air Pollutants/toxicity , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Nitrogen Oxides/toxicity , Sulfur Dioxide/toxicity , Animals , Blood Chemical Analysis , Body Weight/drug effects , Female , Kidney Function Tests , Liver/drug effects , Liver/pathology , Liver Function Tests , Mice , Organ Size/drug effects , Spleen/drug effects , Spleen/pathologyABSTRACT
The effects of atmospheric air pollution on some hematological, and bioquimic parameters, of passerine birds were analyzed. The studies were undertaken in the area of Cercs (polluted area in Spain), where there is a coal-fired power plant that emanates SO2, NOx, and particles, and the area of St. Jaume de Frontanya (nonpolluted area) located 40 km from the area of Cercs with similar climatology, relief, and altitude, but without air pollution. The results showed that there was a significant decrease in the erythrocyte count, and an increase in erythrocyte size in specimens from the polluted area. An increase in pre-albumines and a decrease in beta-globulines in Emberiza cia was observed, while an increase in transaminases (GOT and GPT), and a decrease in weight in Turdus merula from the polluted zone was observed.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants/toxicity , Birds/blood , Nitrogen Oxides/toxicity , Sulfur Dioxide/toxicity , Animals , Blood Cell Count/drug effects , Blood Proteins/drug effects , Blood Proteins/metabolism , Coal , Nitrogen Oxides/metabolism , Spain , Sulfur Dioxide/metabolismABSTRACT
The effects of atmospheric air pollution on some hematological and plasma parameters, activity, and food and water consumption in Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse) and Mus musculus (mouse) were studied. The studies were undertaken in the area of Cercs (polluted area in Spain), where there is a coal-fired power plant that emanates SO2, NOx, and particles, and the area of St. Jaume de Frontanyà (nonpolluted area), located 40 km from the area of Cercs, with similar climatology, relief, and altitude, but without air pollution. Apodemus sylvaticus were captured in the field and Mus musculus were placed in cages in both studied areas. The results showed that there is a significant decrease in hematocrit, and a significant increase in leucocyte number, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, osmolality, and gamma-globulin in Mus musculus, and a decrease in albumin (%) and albumin/globulin index in Apodemus sylvaticus. A negative correlation between hematocrit values and pollution was found. In mice placed in cages in the polluted area a slight but significant decrease in water and food consumption, and slower activity, was observed. The results suggest that pollution could induce a decrease in water and food consumption, which may be due to an observed reduction in activity.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants/toxicity , Muridae/blood , Nitrogen Oxides/toxicity , Sulfur Dioxide/toxicity , Animals , Blood Cell Count/drug effects , Blood Proteins/metabolism , Drinking/drug effects , Eating/drug effects , Male , Mice , Muridae/physiology , SpainABSTRACT
A study was made of the ciliar tracheal epithelium on passerine birds and small mammals subjected to NOx, SO2 emissions and particulates from a coal-fired power plant. The results were compared to those of a non-polluted area, very similar in vegetation, relief, and climatology. We studied Carduelis carduelis (goldfinch), Emberiza cia (rock bunting), Parus major (great tit), Turdus merula (blackbird), and Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse). All animals were captured in the wild. We also used goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) captured in the wild and mice (Mus musculus) from our laboratory. These species were placed in protected cages near the source of pollution for 5 and 12 months. The images of the tracheal epithelium surface and the observation of tracheal sections at transmission and scanning electron microscopy showed a variation in the percentage of ciliated and non-ciliated cells, and a variation in the organization, orientation, and morphology of the cilia in animals from the polluted zone.
Subject(s)
Air Pollution/adverse effects , Cilia/ultrastructure , Trachea/ultrastructure , Animals , Birds , Epithelium/ultrastructure , MuridaeABSTRACT
The effects produced by emissions from coal-fired power plants, including mainly SO2, NOx and particulates, on natural populations and caged specimens of birds and small mammals were studied. The field-captured species used to evaluate these effects were passerine birds: Parus major (coal tit) and Emberiza cia (rock bunting), and the rodent Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse). In parallel to this study on animals captured in the field, we used other animals, Mus musculus (house mouse) and Carduelis carduelis (goldfinch) which were placed in cages near the source of pollution. Some of the animals were killed and their tracheas were removed and prepared for conventional optic studies (1000x) and electron microscopy (TEM and SEM). The results show that atmospheric air pollutants from coal-fired power plants produce alterations in the tracheal epithelium. In passerine birds, an increase in the mucus which covers the tracheal epithelium, shortening of the cilia, and increase in the number of secretory granules and vesicles were observed. In mammals, variation of the uniformity of the pseudostratified epithelium with a wide stratum of mucus, shortening of the cilia, and increase in the number of secretory granules were observed.