A study of the ciliar tracheal epithelium on passerine birds and small mammals subjected to air pollution: ultrastructural study.

A study was made of the ciliar tracheal epithelium on passerine birds and small mammals subjected to NOx, SO2 emissions and particulates from a coal-fired power plant. The results were compared to those of a non-polluted area, very similar in vegetation, relief, and climatology. We studied Carduelis carduelis (goldfinch), Emberiza cia (rock bunting), Parus major (great tit), Turdus merula (blackbird), and Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse). All animals were captured in the wild. We also used goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) captured in the wild and mice (Mus musculus) from our laboratory. These species were placed in protected cages near the source of pollution for 5 and 12 months. The images of the tracheal epithelium surface and the observation of tracheal sections at transmission and scanning electron microscopy showed a variation in the percentage of ciliated and non-ciliated cells, and a variation in the organization, orientation, and morphology of the cilia in animals from the polluted zone.