Glutathione and malondialdehyde levels in common carp after exposure to simazine

Several water contamination incidents with simazine have occurred in the province of Badajoz (Spain). Simazine residues were also detected in drinking water, increasing public health concern. Since little information was found concerning the effects of sublethal concentrations of simazine on aquatic organisms, we investigated some oxidative stress biomarkers in tissues of carps from contaminated waters. Results confirmed an increase in tissue reduced glutathione and malondialdehyde levels in carps inhabiting one of the contaminated ponds. To assess the biological significance of this finding, a laboratory study in which carps were exposed to simazine at 45 μg L−1 (10-fold that of the natural water levels) for 90 days was developed. The results obtained in the field study were not confirmed in the laboratory exposure, where no differences were seen between the control and the exposure groups. Therefore, carps did not suffer oxidative stress phenomena by the presence of the simazine, at concentrations found in both studies.