Chronic toxicity of nonylphenol and ethinylestradiol: haematological and histopathological effects in juvenile Common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

In recent ecotoxicological research, there is an increasing concern about alkylphenolic industrial chemicals, such as nonylphenol (NP), because of their estrogenic properties. Data on the general fish toxicity of these wide spread aquatic pollutants are scarce. In order to evaluate sublethal toxic effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of NP, juvenile Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were exposed to NP concentrations ranging from 1 to 15 microg NP/l over a 70-day period. Classical toxicological endpoints, such as various haematological parameters and histopathological alterations were investigated. In a comprehensive protocol, besides NP-induced effects also alterations due to a treatment with the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol (EE2) were evaluated. After both the NP-exposure as well as the EE2-treatment, the predominant haematological finding was a severe anaemia. Histopathological alterations in the kidney, the liver and the spleen occurred exclusively after treatment with EE2, whereas NP-exposed fish did not show any tissue lesions. Depending on the haematological parameter examined, a NOEC between 1 and 5 microg NP/l could be established. From the present findings, it is assumed, that under field conditions, the NP-induced, general toxic effects, might outbalance the relatively weak estrogenic effects of this compound and possibly might disturb ecologically relevant processes such as fish reproduction.

[Evaluation criteria for a behavioral fish test for continuous water monitoring]. / Bewertungskriterien für einen Verhaltensfischtest zur kontinuierlichen Gewässerüberwachung.

Conventional fish flow through chamber tests respond only to massive injury of the animals. For this reason an indication of certain contaminants in sublethal concentrations is often impossible. The multi-parameter fish test described here aims to increase the test sensitivity in the sublethal range. The highly automated system allows to quantify and assess changes in the behaviour patterns of a small shoal of test fishes. The behavioural parameters are measured with the video-processing system "BehavioQuant". The object-related parameters swimming height, covered way, and number of turnings during the measuring cycle are recorded for each animal. As additional criteria the shoaling behaviour of the fishes is quantified and evaluated by the system. Test organisms are golden orfes Leuciscus idus melanotus.

Differential response to irradiation in offspring of freshwater and seawater substrains of Poecilia (Lebistes) reticulata peters in the "guppy male courtship activity test".

An inbred strain ("Istanbul") of guppies was divided into two substrains, one of which was maintained and bred in seawater. The offspring of irradiated animals of both substrains (1000 R X-rays to spermatogonia and oogonia of neonatal fish) were tested in a new "gruppy male courtship activity test" and compared with control groups. The postirradiation response in the seawater substrain was more intense than in the freshwater substrain.