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Hematological dyscrasia in teleosts chronically exposed to selenium-laden effluent

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Abstract

Lepomis microlophus (redear sunfish) were collected from Martin Lake, an east Texas reservoir, as well as a reference lake 8 km upstream in the same drainage system. Martin Lake received aqueous selenium-laden effluent from electrical generator plant systems used to collect fly ash, scrubber sludge, and bottom ash; the reference lake received no such effluent (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, unpublished report). Neutron activation analysis was used to monitor selenium levels in the hepatopancreas (i.e., the liver and associated, disseminated exocrine pancreas), which is one of the major organs used in monitoring selenium exposure. Fish collected from areas adjacent to the selenium-discharge sites in Martin Lake accumulated about 19.8 ppm in the hepatopancreas, compared to approximately 8.4 ppm for fish collected further from the discharge site. Reference redear sunfish accumulated normal levels of 1.8 ppm in the hepatopancreas. Hematological abnormalities were most severe for fish collected from areas adjacent to the selenium discharge site. These abnormalities included altered leukocyte distribution with elevated numbers of hemoblasts, reduced hematocrits, lower hemoglobin concentrations, slightly reduced numbers of erythrocytes, 12% and 23% reductions in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), respectively, and microcytic, poikilocytic erythrocytes with elevated numbers of nuclear shadows. These data present a striking illustration of a case in which the hematological characteristics of a freshwater teleost were correlated with selenium accumulation in a critical organ following chronic selenium exposure. Hematological data provided a sensitive indicator of the severity of the impact of selenium-laden generator plant effluent on this teleost species.

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Sorensen, E.M.B., Bauer, T.L. Hematological dyscrasia in teleosts chronically exposed to selenium-laden effluent. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 12, 135–141 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01059571

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