Branchial and renal pathology in the fish exposed chronically to methoxy ethyl mercuric chloride

Pathological manifestations causally related to pesticide poisoning have been described in both surficial and internal tissues of the fishes. Among the various organomercurials are phenyl mercuric acetate, methyl mercuric dicyanidiamide, methoxy ethyl mercuric chloride, methoxy ethyl mercuric silicate etc. Of these, the methoxy ethyl mercuric chloride (MEMC) is used in agriculture as an antifungal seed dressing, and its toxicity is primarily manifest in the Hg/sup 2 +/ ion. This report describes pathogenesis of branchial and renal lesions in the common freshwater fish, Puntius conchonius exposed chronically to sublethal levels of MEMC. Prior to this, alterations in the peripheral blood and metabolite levels in response to experimental MEMC poisoning have been demonstrated in this species.