Pathology of gill and liver tissues from two genera of fishes exposed to two coal‐derived materials

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Abstract
Bullhead catfish, Ictalurus nebulosus, and rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, were subjected to two coal‐derived substances to evaluate each material for potential carcinogenic activity. Substances tested included a solvent‐refined coal heavy distillate and a sediment extract from an industrially polluted river in Ohio. Two subfractions, one containing the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the other containing the nitrogen heterocycles of each material were also tested. Following a 16‐h exposure period, the gill and liver tissues were removed and examined by standard light and electron microscopy techniques. Hyperplasia of the gill tissue and some engorgement with blood of the secondary lamellae were observed with the light microscope. At the electron microscope level, hepatocyte mitochondria were swollen with a loss of cristae, and rough endoplasmic reticulum fragmented. Results suggest that most of the treatments studied induced pathological responses in fish. Of the two fish tested, the rainbow trout was the most sensitive indicator of environmental pollution.