Tissue concentration of organochlorines, organophosphate and plasma cortisol in captured fish of polluted river Gomti at Jaunpur during post-monsoon season

The objectives of the present investigation was to monitor the HCHs (isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane), DDTs (metabolites of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), chlorpyrifos in tissue bioaccumulation and plasma levels of cortisol between the sampling sites of the unpolluted ponds of Gujartal, Jaunpur (reference site) and the polluted rivers the Gomti (Jaunpur) and the Ganga (Varanasi) as stress hormone of some edible catfishes during non-breeding season owing to industrialization. The insecticides were measured by the gas liquid chromatography (GLC) and plasma cortisol by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbents Assay (ELISA). The results indicated that the presence of HCHs, DDTs and chlorpyrifos was much higher in the catfishes captured from the river Gomti than those of the river Ganga when compared to reference site. The plasma level of cortisol was low in the fishes captured from both the rivers. In conclusion, the fishes from polluted rivers showed high degree of contamination which caused stress and ultimately decreased the growth of edible fishes of riverine sources.