Histopathology of the digestive gland of the snail Cantareus aspersus exposed chronically to cadmium and copper fungicide

Abstract The presence of unnatural substances in the environment increases in proportion to their use by humans. Thus, the development of agriculture will most certainly result in an increase in the concentration of pesticides and chemicals in the air, water and soil. They will therefore be able to reach ecosystems. In this study, we are interested in the histological effects of a copper-based fungicide Vacomil-Plus (2 g/l), cadmium (800 µg/l) and their mixture (CdCl2 + Copper fungicide, 1/1, V/V) on the digestive gland of bio-accumulators and bio-indicators of pollution: the snail Cantareus aspersus. We have chosen three processing times: Acute (15 days), sub-acute (30 days) and chronic (90 days). After each period, an individual chosen randomly from each batch, is shelled and then dissected to collect the target organ (digestive gland). The histological aspect of the digestive gland of treated snails illustrated tissue damages and alterations after exposure to cadmium, copper fungicide and their mixture, manifested by cellular hypertrophy, decreased epithelial height accompanied by chorion fibrosis confirming the toxicity of these two substances. In the other hand, we noted the appearance of nuclear pyknosis, necrosis and cellular apoptosis to treaties by the mixture (from 30 days of treatment) earlier that cadmium or copper fungicide single (90 days). Moreover, this study revealed that the cocktail was much more toxic to the tested snail than the Cadmium or the fungicide alone, therefore the cadmium have a synergic effect on this copper fungicide.