Haematological studies of Oreochromis niloticus exposed to pig effluent

Abstract

Studies on the haematological response of the fresh water fish Oreochromis niloticus exposed to pig effluent were conducted in 1998 to determine the effect of various concentrations of the effluent on haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Ht), red and white blood cells (RBC and WBC). It was observed that as the concentration of the effluent increased beyond 25 ppt, the water become toxic resulting in hypoxia. There were increased fin/tail and opercular movements at high concentrations and low feed intake. The blood parameters initially increased but after the 25ppt concentration the value decreased significantly (P>0.05).

KEY WORDS: Haematology, Oreochromis niloticus, pig effluent, toxicology.


(Nigerian Veterinary Journal: 2003 24(1): 28-32)