Toxicity effects of waste dry cell battery on the haematology and biochemistry of blood, gills and liver of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings

Audu Bala Sambo 1, *, Damshit Margaret 1, Wakawa Idi Audu 4, Ajima Malachy Nwigwe Okechukwu 2, Sulaiman Yusuf 3 and Wade John Wokton 1

1 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Jos. Nigeria.
2 Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.
3 Department of Zoology, Nassarawa State University, Keffi, Nassarawa State, Nigeria.
4 Department of Biology, Umar Suleiman College of Education, Gashua, Yobe State, Nigeria.
 
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2020, 06(02), 072-082
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2020.6.2.0129
 
Publication history: 
Received on 27 April 2020; revised on 04 May 2020; accepted on 06 May 2020
 
Abstract: 
Indiscriminate dumping of spent dry cell batteries have continuously polluted aquatic environments usually as surface run-offs with deleterious effects on aquatic fauna including Fish. Toxicity effects of water soluble fractions (WSFs) of waste dry cell battery (WDCB) on blood, gills and liver of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings were investigated under laboratory conditions. Acute (96 hr.) and sub lethal (56 days) bioassays were separately conducted on 120no. C. gariepinus fingerlings stocked ten (10) per tank in twelve (12) circular tanks, each in randomized block design. Fish were exposed to acute (0.31, 0.63, 1.25, 2.50 and 5.00 g/L) and sub lethal (0.02, 0.04, 0.07, 0.14, and 0.28 g/L) concentrations with a control (0.00g/L) in replicates. The 96hr. LC50 of WDCB on C. gariepinus fingerlings was 0.84 g/L with upper (1.12 g/L) and lower (0.49 g/L) confidence limits and cumulated to behavioural changes and death of the fish. Significant alterations (P<0.05) in haematological [white blood cells (WBC) packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cells (RBC) and haemoglobin (Hb)] and biochemical [Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)] parameters of the gills and liver were observed in both toxicity tests. However, no mortality was recorded in sub lethal bioassay. Waste dry cell battery is hazardous to C. gariepinus fingerlings. Therefore indiscriminate disposal of spent dry cell battery should be discouraged in order to safeguard riparian ecosystem and aquatic fauna.
 
Keywords: 
Spent non- rechargeable dry cell battery; Blood cells; Enzymes; Organs; African catfish 
 
Full text article in PDF: 
Share this