ABSTRACT
Aquatic contaminants include classic chemicals such as pesticides, metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, organic compounds from sewage, pulp mill effl uents, and what is known as emerging contaminants or “old compounds with a new face” (these include pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology residues, anti-fl ame compounds and cyanotoxins, amongst others). These contaminants have been a cause for signifi cant concern in recent years. In most cases, the impact caused by
1Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, São Paulo State University, Rua Cristovao Colombo 2265, Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, BRASIL CEP 15054-000. 2Cellular Toxicology Laboratory, Cellular Biology Department, C. Postal 19031, Federal University of Paraná, CEP: 81.531-980 Curitiba-PR Brazil. Email: ciro@ufpr.br *Corresponding author: ealmeida@ibilce.unesp.br
environmental contaminants depends on the contaminant’s toxic effects on the exposed biota, leading to alterations in physiology that compromises the life cycles of organisms. The American Chemical Society reported the existence of an estimated 10 million substances; approximately 70,000 are used daily, but only 2,000 have toxic effects that are well characterized in the literature (Mozeto and Zagato 2006). Because the fi nal destination of most anthropogenic pollutants is the aquatic environment, fi sh are largely affected by aquatic pollutants. They represent one of the most diverse class of aquatic vertebrates, with about 32,500 described species (Fish base 2013) inhabiting the most diverse aquatic ecosystems.
