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

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