Fertilizer industry effluent induced hematological, histopathological and biochemical alterations in a stinging catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794)

Abstract

Abstract Industrial effluents reaching to the aquatic ecosystem is one of the major causes of environmental pollution. Heteropneustes fossilis, one of the most common edible fish if exposed to industrial effluents containing harmful substances may be a serious threat to human health. Therefore, the present study aimed to study the impact of fertilizer industry effluent on H.\xa0fossilis. Fish were exposed to treated and untreated fertilizer industry effluent (LC50\xa0\u200b=\xa0\u200b2.35% v/v) for 96\xa0\u200bh along with a proper control. The physico-chemical parameters such as turbidity, biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of both treated and untreated fertilizer industry effluent were also analyzed as these parameters were not in range as per guidelines. Hematological parameters such as Red Blood cells (RBC), Haemoglobin (% Hb), Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) showed significant decrease while there was sharp increase in differential leucocyte count (DLC) especially the neutrophil count. Distinct alteration in the architecture of gills, liver and kidney was observed besides significant increase in the level of lipid peroxidation (LPO), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), acid phosphatases (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) while the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione s-transferase (GST) and reduced glutathione (GSH) activity decreased in metabolically active tissues like brain, liver, kidney, gills and muscles. The results indicate that industrial effluent has potent oxidative stress inducers on one hand and histoarchitectural and physiological altering contaminants on the other. This condition may adversely affect the health of aquatic organisms, the fish and ultimately the human beings.