Roundup, also known by the name Glyphosate, is used as a non-selective herb
icide in agriculture as well as in fish ponds, lakes, canals etc. Literatur
e on the toxicity of glyphosate for the aquatic environment and aquatic org
anisms is extremely scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate
the effects of different sublethal concentrations of glyphosate (4, 6, 8 mg
/l) in water on the non-specific immunity and the following internal organs
: livers and kidneys of carps. The study was carried out on 120 clinically
healthy carps K-1, weighing 60-80 g. The white blood cell count (WBC), neut
rophil count and micro test of NBT reduction to evaluate phagocytic activit
y of neutrophils were performed. Likewise the phagocytic activity of kidney
neutrophils and macrophages as well as the level of lysozyme in serum were
observed. During all the experiments (28 days) one observed decreased non-
specific immunity. The reduction of the phagocytic activity of blood and ki
dney neutrophils and macrophages as well as of the lysozyme level was obser
ved.
In the histopathological investigations degenerative changes in the livers
and kidneys of the carps exposed to glyphosate during 14 days were observed
. Histopathological changes in livers were characterized with oedema cells,
vacuolar degeneration and focal fibrosis. In kidneys, degenerative changes
relating mostly to tubular cells were noted, as well as necrosis of heamop
oietic tissue and focal fibrosis. The studies showed that Roundup in toxic
to fish, handicapping the functioning of the defensive immunological system
and liver and kidney function.