Abstract
The contamination of the aquatic systems with heavy metals from natural and anthropogenic sources has become a global problem which poses serious threats to ecosystems and natural communities. Heavy metals get bio concentrated in organisms that may cause health problems in humans via the food chain. The heavy metal zinc causes most serious environmental contaminations and effects due to its rampant use. In this study sublethal effects of the heavy metal, zinc on the histopathological parameters in fresh water fish, Etroplus maculatus was investigated. The 96 hour LC50 value of zinc was determined by Probit analysis, that was found to be 12.4 mg/L. The liver and kidney samples were collected from fish was exposed to sublethal concentrations of zinc on 14th and 28thdays.The structural deformities observed in the liver tissue showed swelling of hepatocytes, vacuolar degeneration, necrosis, nuclear hypertrophy and cirrhosis with acute haemorrhage where as, kidney showed degenerated renal capsule and renal tubule, edema, necrosis and haemorrhage in the interstetium. The histpathological changes become prominent as the days and concentration of exposure increases. The study thus establishes that zinc is harmful to Etroplus maculatus even in sublethal concentrations and effective management strategies are to be evolved and implemented to protect our water bodies and the organisms from problems of heavy metal pollution.
Highlights
IntroductionArsenic (As), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) are heavy metals whose natural content in the soil can vary from very small proportion, which is qualify as trace element with an excessively high concentration found in soils (Garret, 2000).As, Ni and Pb are non-biodegradable toxic heavy metal (Ilavský and Barlokobá, 2012; Alhawas, Alwabel, Ghoneim, Alfarraj and Sallam 2013).These metals have been discharged into the environment as industrial wastes causing serious problem of soil and water pollution (Tchobanoglous, Burton and Stensel, 2003; WHO, 2004).The main source of heavy metals pollution in the water came from human activities (Nkhuwa, 2003; Collin and Melloul, 2003; Cissé, Faye, Wohnlich and Gaye, 2004)
In Côte d’Ivoire, the laterite soil occurs very widely in several towns of Côte d’Ivoire (e.g. Sinémentialy in the north, Bouaké in the middle, Abengourou in the south-east and in the way Abidjan-Adzopé) (Zondje, 2008).All these facts prompted the present investigators to evaluate the possibility of laterite soil to be used as a potential adsorbent for arsenic, nickel and lead removal from real sample
Several mineralogical and physicochemical properties were determinated by means of: X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), N2-adsorption/desorption techniques (BET), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), particle size distribution, cation exchange capacity and chemical analyses by atomic
Summary
Arsenic (As), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) are heavy metals whose natural content in the soil can vary from very small proportion, which is qualify as trace element with an excessively high concentration found in soils (Garret, 2000).As, Ni and Pb are non-biodegradable toxic heavy metal (Ilavský and Barlokobá, 2012; Alhawas, Alwabel, Ghoneim, Alfarraj and Sallam 2013).These metals have been discharged into the environment as industrial wastes causing serious problem of soil and water pollution (Tchobanoglous, Burton and Stensel, 2003; WHO, 2004).The main source of heavy metals pollution in the water came from human activities (Nkhuwa, 2003; Collin and Melloul, 2003; Cissé, Faye, Wohnlich and Gaye, 2004). In Côte d’Ivoire,Koua-Koffi (2014) shows that the concentrations of As, Ni and Pb in many existing wells providing drinking water exceed over values These well are situated in M'badon villagenear Akouédo landfill in Abidjan district. A cost-effective technique for arsenic, nickel and lead removal providing a safe drinking water is an urgent need. Many methods exist for removing heavy metals, including ion exchange, precipitation, ultrafiltration, and adsorption (Lenoble, 2003). Among these methods, adsorption by natural absorbent such as a laterite is effective and cheap when compared to other methods (Altundogan, Altundogan, Tümen and Bildik,2002). In Côte d’Ivoire, the laterite soil occurs very widely in several towns of Côte d’Ivoire (e.g. Sinémentialy in the north, Bouaké in the middle, Abengourou in the south-east and in the way Abidjan-Adzopé) (Zondje, 2008).All these facts prompted the present investigators to evaluate the possibility of laterite soil to be used as a potential adsorbent for arsenic, nickel and lead removal from real sample
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