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Multiple biomarkers of pollution effects in Solea solea fish on the Tunisia coastline

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Abstract

This field study investigates the morphological indices (condition index, hepatosomatic index) and biochemical (catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), metallothionein (MT), lipid peroxidation) parameters in liver, gills and kidney of common sole (Solea solea) originating from different sites of the Tunisian coast area impacted by different anthropogenic activities. Differences among sites and tissues for AChE, GST, CAT, MT and TBARS were found and possibly related to known sources of domestic and industrial discharges in the studied sites. Liver, gills and kidney CAT, liver and kidney MT and brain AChE were key biomarkers to discriminate fish of different sites. So, we suggest using these biomarkers in future biomonitoring.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a fund from the Ministry of Scientific Research and Technology, University of Sousse, Tunisia (Research Unit of Biochemistry and Environmental Toxicology UR 04AGR05), and “Institution de la Recherche et de l'Enseignement Supérieur Agricole (IRESA; Tunisia)”.

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Correspondence to Jamel Jebali.

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Jebali, J., Sabbagh, M., Banni, M. et al. Multiple biomarkers of pollution effects in Solea solea fish on the Tunisia coastline. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 3812–3821 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1321-2

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