The Impact of Contamination on Fishes

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Environment and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 January 2026 | Viewed by 131

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: bioaccumulation; biomarkers; freshwater; metallomics; metalloproteins; metals; metal nanoparticles

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: ecotoxicology; biology/metals; biomarkers; bioindicators; water quality; microplastics; fish; acanthocephalans

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: bioaccumulation; metals; shellfish; ecotoxicology; biomarkers; metalloproteins; marine and freshwater; environmental pollution assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water pollution, which originates from point and diffuse sources, presents a serious problem that affects at least half the world’s population; it is therefore crucial not only to establish the types of contamination that occur and the degree to which they occur, but also to define the effects that exposure to contaminants can induce in aquatic bioindicator organisms. Fish are often the organisms of choice when aiming to assess the impact of contamination, both in freshwater and marine ecosystems. From an ecological point of view, fish are at the top of the aquatic food chain, and therefore mirror the combination of biotic and abiotic conditions in the aquatic environment. In addition, the size and mass of their organs facilitate the performance from various analyses, while their long lifespan results in more pronounced effects, such as the accumulation of contaminants in their organs and chronic alterations to their health. Furthermore, since fish are used in the human diet, it is also crucial to determine their health status and estimate the risks associated with their consumption as a source of toxic substances.

This Special Issue aims to present articles that address the impact of contamination on fish, including both marine and freshwater species. Publications should focus on the bioaccumulation of contaminants, biomarker responses (from molecular to population level), histopathology and health issues, changes in biodiversity, mechanisms of detoxification and toxicity, as well as the development of novel methodologies and biomarkers for recognizing the effects of contamination. Additional topics that are related to the theme of the Special Issue but not mentioned here will be considered for publication.

Dr. Zrinka Dragun
Dr. Tatjana Mijošek Pavin
Dr. Dušica Ivanković
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bioaccumulation
  • biomarkers
  • eDNA
  • freshwater
  • histopathology
  • marine
  • metallomics
  • metals/metalloids
  • microplastics
  • organic contaminants

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 8609 KB  
Article
Trace Element Accumulation and Oxidative Stress in Three Populations of the European Eel Anguilla anguilla L. from Southern Italy
by Mariacristina Filice, Samira Gallo, Alessia Caferro, Gianni Giglio, Francesco Luigi Leonetti, Concetta Milazzo, Alfonsina Gattuso, Maria Carmela Cerra, Donatella Barca, Emilio Sperone and Sandra Imbrogno
Fishes 2025, 10(10), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10100517 (registering DOI) - 11 Oct 2025
Abstract
The European eel (Anguilla anguilla), a catadromous species currently listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, is undergoing a severe continental decline. Among the multiple contributing factors, chemical contamination of aquatic environments—particularly by heavy metals—plays a major role. This study analyzed [...] Read more.
The European eel (Anguilla anguilla), a catadromous species currently listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, is undergoing a severe continental decline. Among the multiple contributing factors, chemical contamination of aquatic environments—particularly by heavy metals—plays a major role. This study analyzed the concentrations of 16 trace elements in the muscle tissue of A. anguilla specimens collected from three ecologically distinct sites in Southern Italy: an estuary (Foce del Crati), a lagoon (Laghi di Gizzeria) and a stream (torrente Raganello). Correlations between trace element accumulation and the onset of oxidative stress were also examined. To assess eel health status, oxidative biomarkers were also analyzed in heart, liver, and gill tissues. Statistical analysis among populations revealed significant differences in the bioaccumulation of 10 of the 16 elements, with Cd and As being of particular concern. No significant correlations were found between these two elements and oxidative biomarkers, but Spearman analysis identified both positive and negative correlations with other elements varying by the site of collection. Oxidative biomarkers also showed site- and tissue-specific variation. In particular, SOD activity was highest in the liver and varied across sites; LPO and protein carbonyl levels were generally lower in eels from the Crati River, although heart values deviated from this trend, highlighting tissue-specific response patterns. These results underscore the complex interplay between chemical contamination and the physiology of the European eel, emphasizing the influence of environmental context in modulating tissue-specific oxidative responses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Contamination on Fishes)
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