We estimated the impact of seasonal and anthropogenic contaminants on antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in common carp. The fish were reared in a power station cooling canal and in a natural pond. The examined blood parameters were: superoxide dismutase (0.91 to 5.01 U·mg^-1 HGB), glutathione peroxidase (3.13 to 21.03 U·mg^-1 HGB), bilirubin (0.44 to 1.22 mg·dl^-1), urea (1.66 to 6.33 mg·dl^-1), malondialdehyde (0.39 to 2.21 nmol·mg^-1 HGB), cadmium (0.031 to 0.088 mg·kg^-1 w.w.), and lead (0.035 to 0.131 mg·kg^-1 w.w.). Antioxidants were measured colorimetrically, and metals by atomic absorption. Fish living in cooling water had higher levels of all the parameters studied.