Haematological changes in Clarias Gariepenus exposed to rubber effluent

Abstract

The toxicological effects of rubber effluent on Clarias gariepinus (catfish) was studied utilizing haematological end points. The study found that exposing Clarias gariepinus to 50% and 100% concentrations of rubber effluent for 14 and 28 days caused alterations in haematological parameters such as White Blood Cell (WBC) and lymphocyte counts, Red Blood Cell (RBC) count, and RBC differentials. The severity of the changes in these assessment end points was shown to be dependent on the effluent concentration (50 and 100 percent) and the period (14 and 28 days) of exposure to the effluent, highlighting the toxicity of untreated rubber effluent to Clarias gariepinus. The rubber effluent’s physicochemical characterization revealed that it had a high organic load but a somewhat low inorganic load.