Bioaccumulation of metals and effects of a landfill in small mammals Part III: Structural alterations

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 109; no. 8; pp. 960 - 967
• Main Authors: Sánchez-Chardi, Alejandro, Peñarroja-Matutano, Cristina, Borrás, Miquel, Nadal, Jacint
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.11.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alterations; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Apodemus sylvaticus; Applied ecology; Bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Crocidura russula; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Histopathology; Landfill leachates; Landfills; Male; Mammalia; Medical sciences; Metals - metabolism; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Mice; Pollution abatement; Protected areas; Refuse Disposal; Rodentia - metabolism; Small mammals; Species Specificity; Spleen; Target tissues; Toxicity; Toxicology; Wood; Spain; Protected areas; Target tissues; Histopathology; Landfill leachates; Small mammals; Waste dumping; Targeting; Ecotoxicology; Toxicity; Rodentia; Alteration; Metal; Protected area; Micromammals; Tissue; Vertebrata; Anatomic pathology; Mammalia; Crocidura russula; Apodemus sylvaticus; Biological accumulation; Insectivora; Environmental protection
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2009.08.004

The leachates from the Garraf landfill located in a protected site (NE Spain) contain several potentially toxic substances such as heavy metals. Here we report the histopathological alterations produced by this pollution in wild specimens of an omnivorous species, the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, and an insectivorous species, the greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula. Hepatic tissue presented the most severe alterations in both the species, namely cell cycle arrest (apoptosis and necrosis), inflammation, preneoplasic nodules, vacuolation and microsteatosis. The kidneys were altered more in the mice (presenting tubular necrosis and dilatation, inflammation, and cylinders) than in the shrews, suggesting that different metabolic pathways render shrews more tolerant to renal toxicity induced by pollutants. No pollution-related alterations were observed in lung, spleen, pancreas, gonads, oesophagus, intestine, or adrenals. We conclude that the two species could be used in conjunction as bioindicators to assess the effects of environmental pollution at different trophic levels.