Contamination des écosystèmes aquatiques par les PCBs: impact sur les processus de reproduction d'une espèce de poisson sensible, Barbus barbus.

During two seasons, the effect of a food contamination by organochlorine micropollutants (PCBs) was related to the fertility and reproductive success in aquarium-reared common barbel. In male fish, no alteration of milt quality was observed: number and mobility of spermatozoa remained. On the other hand, PCBs induced modifications of female reproductive parameters : total mortality of eggs and larvae increased significantly with PCB level in the eggs. Moreover, the most contaminated fish did not even spawn. Such phenomena are likely to result from perturbation of steroid metabolism pathways due to the induction of liver mixed-function oxidase.