Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in a Remote High Mountain Lake Food Web in the Central Pyrenees

Brown trouts (Salmo trutta) from four European high mountain lakes (Norway, the Pyrenees,the Alps and the Tatras) were analyzed for metal and organic pollution, histopathologicalabnormalities and biochemical parameters. Fish from all lakes appeared well nourished withconditioning factors close to unity. Their mean age ranged from 4 to 14 years old inGossenköllesee and Vel’ké Hincovo, respectively. Lead and cadmium concentrations werehigher in fish from Vel’ké Hincovo in comparison with the other studied lakes. All fishpresented similar and lower mercury levels in muscle. While organochlorine compoundsconcentrations are consistent with the pattern observed in the sediments and water of the lakes,polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in liver do not correlate with what is found in thesediments. All fish presented similar PAH concentration in liver. Higher numbers ofmelanomacrophages and increased amounts of lipid degradation and degeneration in liver werefound in trouts from Vel’ké Hincovo and Øvre Neådalsvatn. Signs of oxidative stress, such aselevated concentrations of glutathione disulphide (GSSG) and G6PDH, were also detected inspecimens of these two lakes. This metabolic activation probably due to higher detoxifyingactivity was corroborated with previous findings of elevated number of PAH metabolites in bileof fish from these two locations.