Effect of steel plant effluent on acid and alkaline phosphatases of gills, liver and gonads of Cyprinus carpio Linn. (1758)

Fishes are aquatic and poikilothermic animals. Hence, their existence and performance is dominated by the quality of their environment. Pollution of water bodies forces them to acclimatize to various factors thus imposing a considerable amount of stress on their lives. This ability to detect sudden changes in environment and monitoring short or long term changes in water quality makes the fish efficient biomarkers. The Bhilai Steel Plant is situated 30 kilometers (west) of Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. Besides good quality steel, it also produces important by products, such as, Coal tar, Naphthalene and Benzol. Effluents generated are dumped into the two local rivers, the Kharoon and the Sheonath through various channels. Analysis of the physico-chemical constituents of the different effluents reveals the coke oven effluent to contain a high amount of phenol, besides the presence of other toxic substances and hence is not expected to be congenial for the existence of fish. Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio Linn, 1758) were exposed to different concentrations (l0,20,30%)of this effluent for a short term duration and changes in acid and alkaline phosphatases recorded in the three organs, viz., gills, liver and gonads at different time points (48,96 and 160 hours). The various concentrations of the effluent were found to alter the acidic and alkaline phosphatase activity in the three organs. Hence, the results from present investigations may be useful in the assessment of environmental stress in the aquatic ecosystem.