Nature of Inner Asia
Bibliographic description:
, , , , , Bioindication of Heavy Metal Pollution in the Aquatic Areas of Lake Baikal: Hematological and Immunological Responses in the Siberian Roach Rutilus rutilus lacustris (Pallas, 1814) // Nature of Inner Asia. - 2026. №1(34). . - С. 37-49.
Title:
Bioindication of Heavy Metal Pollution in the Aquatic Areas of Lake Baikal: Hematological and Immunological Responses in the Siberian Roach Rutilus rutilus lacustris (Pallas, 1814)
Financing:
We express our gratitude to S. V. Garmaeva (East-Siberian State University of Technology and Management) for assistance in material collection, and to O. B. Zhepkholova (Institute of General and Experimental Biology SB RAS for assistance in fish age determination. This work was partially supported by a grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research No. 05-04-97268 and the project FWSM-2021-0002.
Codes:
Annotation:
The study is aimed at assessing the concentration of heavy metals (HMs) in the liver of the Siberian roach Rutilus rutilus lacustris (Pallas, 1814) from two aquatories of Lake Baikal: Cherkalov Bay (part of the Selenga River prodelta) and conditionally background Chivyrkuy Bay (a valuable natural complex with minimal anthropogenic pressure). Furthermore, we have evaluated the effects of these heavy metals on the fish’s hematological and immunological parameters, and analyzed concentrations of four HMs (cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc) in the liver tissue. The results show that metal accumulation is ecosystem- dependent: roach inhabiting Cherkalov Bay exhibit significantly higher levels of all HMs. Hematological analysis of the Cherkalov population has revealed a significant decrease in the total leukocyte count and neutrophil lineage suppression. The immunological status of these fish is characterized by suppression of the T-cell-mediated immune response. Correlation analysis demonstrates strong relationships between metal content and negative changes in the hemato- and immunopoiesis of the roach. The identified disturbances correlate with the level of HM accumulation in the liver, confirming the representativeness of these parameters for bioindication. The obtained data emphasize the necessity for regular monitoring of the physiological state of aquatic organisms for the early diagnosis of the negative consequences of pollution in the unique ecosystem of Lake Baikal.
Keywords:
Rutilus rutilus lacustris, heavy metals, leukocytes, bioindication, Lake Baikal, prodelta.
List of references:
Article.pdf