Effects of cumulative stress on fish health near freshwater outlet sluices into the sea: A case study (1988–2005) with evidence for a contributing role of chemical contaminants

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Abstract
Epizootic skin diseases in euryhaline flounder (Platichthys flesus) in the Dutch Wadden Sea were first reported in 1988. Particularly high prevalences of skin ulcers (up to one-third of individual fish being affected) were encountered in the vicinity of sluices draining freshwater from IJsselmeer Lake, in contrast with much lower levels in the freshwater bodies behind the sluices and open sea areas (p < 0.05) were demonstrated between flounder ulcer occurrence and chemical contaminant concentrations in liver (Hg, Cd, Cu, Zn) and bile (the metabolite 1-OH pyrene as an indicator of chronic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure), and histological liver lesions generally indicative of contaminant exposure (hydropic vacuolization of biliary duct epithelial cells). The findings suggest that a combination of osmotic and contaminant-induced stress also contributed to the observed disease patterns. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2011;7:445–458. © 2011 SETAC

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