Pollution Research Paper

HEAVY METALS INDUCED CHANGES IN THE HEPATOSOMATIC AND GONOSOMATIC INDICES (HSI AND GSI) OF A FRESHWATER TELEOST FISH, AMBLYPHARYNGODON MOLA

A.D. SHELKE AND G.P. WANI

Abstract

Aquatics environment gets contaminated with a variety of pollutants generated from diverse sources (industries, agricultural and domestic). Amongst the pollutants, pesticides, heavy metals and detergents are the major cause of concern for aquatic environment. Because of their toxicity, persistency and tendency to accumulate in organisms. The lethality of toxic substances including heavy metals to the aquatic organisms are assessed by static bio.-assay method. The toxicity tests for mercuric chloride (HgCl2) arsenic trioxide (Ag2O3) and cadmium chloride (CdCl2) was determined by using 96h LC50 concentration on fish A. mola which indicated that cadmium chloride is less toxic and mercuric chloride was most highly toxic. The order of toxicity is HgCl2>As2O3>CdCl2. In the present investigation effect of mercuric chloride (HgCl2), arsenic trioxide (As2O3) and cadmium chloride (CdCl2) on the hepatosomatic index (HSI) and gonosomatic index (GSI) of a freshwater teleost fish, Amblypharyngodon mola was studied, the fishes were exposed to LC 50/10 ppm , values of 96 hours as a chronic exposure. On the exposure to heavy metals at sublethal concentration both hepatosomatic index (HSI) and gonosomatic index (GSI) are reduced.