1 research outputs found
Environmental hazard of yperite released at sea: sublethal toxic effects on fish
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential toxicological effects on fish related to the leakage
of yperite from rusted bomb shells dumped at sea. Both in vivo and field studies have been performed.
As for the in vivo experiment, specimen of European eel were subcutaneously injected with 0.015, 0.15
and 1.5 mg/kg of yperite and sacrificed after 24 and 48 h. In the field study, specimen of Conger eel were
collected from a dumping site in the Southern Adriatic Sea. The presence/absence of yperite in tissues,
genotoxicity, detoxification enzymes, histological alterations and gross abnormalities were investigated.
Results of the in vivo experiment showed a significant increase of EROD activity at both 24 h and 48 h. UGT
activity increased significantly at 48 h post injection. An acute inflammatory response after 24 h in skin
layers and muscle was observed, associated to cell degeneration and necrosis after 48 h at the highest
dose. On field, comet assay revealed genotoxicity in gills of fish from the dumping site. Specimen from the
dumping site showed significantly higher EROD activities compared to controls, deep ulcers and papules
on skin together with liver and spleen histopathological lesions