THE INVESTIGATION OF HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF Clarias gariepinus (AFRICAN CATFISH) EXPOSED TO KEROSENE
Nwakanma, C. & Nwoko, C. N.
Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria
Email: dr.nwakanmac@gmail.com
Corresponding author: Nwakanma, C.
ABSTRACT
Juveniles of the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus were exposed to refined petroleum product {kerosene (0, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.0%)} in replicate for in situ static bioassay studies. Twelve (12) aquaria glass tanks was also used for the study. The test organisms were acclimatized in the laboratory for two weeks (14 days) in the glass aquaria to laboratory conditions. The blood samples was analyzed for Erythrocyte count, Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) was determined, haemoglobin content and haematocrit value or packed cell volume (PCV) was expressed as % of total volume white blood cell count was calculated using recommended standards. The acute exposure of Clarias gariepinus to kerosene exhibited a wide range of behavioral responses. These include pronounced gasping for breath, erratic swimming behavior uncoordinated movement, Inverted positioning and occasional darting up and down the water column. On the basis of 96hrs LC50 values, kerosene was more toxic to the juvenile of Clarias gariepinus. The toxicity factor calculated indicated that kerosene was toxic to Clarias gariepinus at 1.0%. The PCV, Hb and WBC content of toxicant exposed fish groups showed a progressive fall (23.40±0.00 to 19.00±0.00), (7.70±0.14 to 6.5±0.71) and (21.93±0.00 to 19.82±0.28) respectively while MCH and MCV showed a progressive rise (19.80±0.00 to 20.13±0.00) and (59.29±0.14 to 60.40±0.00) respectively. MCHC showed decrease at increase concentration of the toxicant from (33.33±0.00) at 0.2%) of toxicant to 31.57± 0.00 at 1.0% concentration of the toxicant. The physico-chemical parameters at the different concentration of the toxicant showed significant differences from that of the control (p<0.05).
Keywords: Haematology, Clarias gariepinus, refined kerosene, Bioassay, Toxicology
