An Assessment of Chromium (VI) induced Toxicity in Common Freshwater Fish Anabas testudineus (Bloch,1792)

Author: Souvik Biswas, Pushmita Halder, Santanu Debnath, Pratyush Ghosh and Ashis Kumar Panigrahi

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Abstract

Chromium, a heavy metal with potential toxicity, can be found in surface water and groundwater and may originate from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Industrial wastewater or effluents are the primary sources of the hazardous pollutant hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)). This form of chromium pollution is a major environmental concern worldwide due to its persistence and extreme toxicity to living organisms. Chromium toxicity in fish can have a wide range of adverse effects, including physiological, and biochemical changes, and haematological alterations. Thus, this present study aims to assess the toxicity caused by potassium chromate and to observe different aspects of haematological, and behavioural alterations in common freshwater fish Anabas testudineus. Fish were subjected to increasing concentrations of potassium chromate ranging from 5-30 mg/L with different time exposure. The lethal and sub-lethal concentration of chromium (VI) was determined in A. testudineus through this study. This study revealed toxicity of chromium through altered morphology (losing of scale, shrinking of eyeballs, redness in eyes, etc.), and behavioural abnormalities (erratic swimming, hyperactivity, frequent surface visits, etc.). Moreover, notable haematological alterations, including changes in PCV, MCV, and MCHC, were observed. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the heavy metal Chromium (VI) in the form of potassium chromate has adverse effects on A. testudineus.

Keywords

Chromium, Potassium chromate, Anabas testudineus, Haematological, Behavioral changes

Conclusion

The present study is an ex-situ analysis which shows the toxic effect of Cr(VI). Cr(VI) is a toxic heavy metal which enters into the aquatic ecosystem via the effluents discharged from numerous industries. Fishes are highly susceptible to this heavy metal because this metal is assimilated through ingestion or gill uptake. Accumulation of this heavy metal in the hepatic and renal tissues impacts various organisms such as the gill, kidney, ovary and liver which inturn adversely affect its behaviour, biochemical activity, physiological activities and metabolic functions. This present study shows the adverse effect of potassium chromate in common freshwater fish Anabas testudineus and its exposure to the LC50 resulted in a significant alteration in haematology.

References

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How to cite this article

Souvik Biswas, Pushmita Halder, Santanu Debnath, Pratyush Ghosh, Ashis Kumar Panigrahi (2023). An Assessment of Chromium (VI) induced Toxicityin Common Freshwater Fish Anabas testudineus (Bloch,1792). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(5): 578-584.