I. VELCHEVA1 and S. BALTOVA2
1 Plovdiv University, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2 Plovdiv University, Department of Animal and Human Anatomy and Physiology, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
VELCHEVA, I and S. BALTOVA, 2002. Effect of lead, zinc and cadmium on blood cells of freshwater fish. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 8: 79–85
The study was conducted with two polluted with heavy metals dams (Studen Kladenets and Kardjali), located on the Arda river, South Bulgaria. Was used two species fish Alburnus alburnus (l.) and Cyprinus carpio (l.) The objective of this study was to establish the effect of the heavy metals zinc, lead, and cadmium on some hematological characteristics of fish. A general tendency for an increase in the number of granulocytes and a decrease of agranulocytes, except lymphocytes, was observed.At the tested lead, zinc, and cadmium concentrations in the white blood of fish, we observed lymphocytosis and neutrophilia. The results from our study supported the suggestion that the combined action of lead, zinc, and cadmium had a marked negative effect on the blood cells of the tested fish.