Morphological Gill Analysis of Fish Species Prochilodus Lineatus after Exposure to Pollutants

Abstract

The gill is the respiratory organ in fish but it is also responsible for ion exchange with the environment, what makes it highly susceptible to pollutants. This study aimed to identify possible histological and histochemical changes in the gill of fish species Prochilodus lineatus exposed to biodegradable detergents and water from an urban lake. The results showed not only morphological alterations such as lamellae fusion and hyperplasia, as well as increase in collagen, changes in nuclear volume and increase in the number of chloride and mucous cells. These results show that common pollutants dumped into rivers and urban lakes can cause several changes in the respiratory organ, possibly leading to a metabolic deficit in fish.