| Summary: | Relationship between priority heavy metal (Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd) concentration in water, their content in main body tissues (gills, liver, kidneys and muscle) and condition parameters [condition factor (CF), branchio-, hepato-, reno- and viscero-somatic indices (BSI, HSI, RSI and VSI), respectively] of Atlantic salmon smolts at the same age (1+ year) in two hydrologically similar but of different pollution level salmonid rivers of Lithuania (Vilnia and Siesartis) was investigated. Evident relation between heavy metal concentration in site water and fish tissue levels was determined. The well-being of fish from unpolluted site was significantly higher in comparison with those from polluted site: their CF and VSI were lower, while BSI was higher (had enlarged gills) indicating toxic effects of pollution. Condition factor was the most informative among parameters studied, followed by BSI and VSI, which could be successfully used in the monitoring of young Atlantic salmon river population state and environmental risk assessment.
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