effect of zinc chloride (lc - 50) on physicochemical parameters of water upon exposure to ...

Effect of Zinc Chloride (LC-50) on physicochemical parameters of water

upon exposure to Ophiocephalus punctatus

Keywords:

Zinc, Physico-chemical parameter, Ophiocephalus punctatus.

007-012 | JRAS | 2012 | Vol 1 | No 1

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Authors:

Swapan S. Bacher and

Arun M. Chilke.

Institution:

Division of Toxicology and

Biomonitoring, Department

of Zoology, Shree Shivaji

Arts, Commerce and Science

College, Rajura-442805

(India).

Corresponding author:

Arun M. Chilke.

Email: [email protected]

Web Address: http://ficuspublishers.com/

documents/AS0007.pdf

Dates: Received: 05 Mar 2012 /Accepted: 15 Mar 2012 /Published: 04 Apr 2012

Article Citation: Swapan S. Bacher and Arun M. Chilke. Effect of Zinc Chloride (LC-50) on physicochemical parameters of water upon exposure to Ophiocephalus punctatus. Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2012) 1: 007-012

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ABSTRACT: Zinc is an essential element and cause deleterious effect at high concentration to both the animals and plants. In the present study, we observed that the Zinc chloride at lethal concentration fifty alters the behavior of fish which also change the physico-chemical properties of water. It was observed that the Zinc chloride steadily increased the pH, conductivity, free carbon dioxide and total alkalinity of water from 24 to 96 hrs, whereas the dissolved oxygen concentration in water was gradually decreased. It is concluded that the increase in pH, conductivity, free carbon dioxide and total alkalinity of water and decrease in oxygen could be due to increase in the metabolic processes of Ophiocephalus punctatus upon exposure to zinc chloride at lethal concentration 44.25 mg/l.

Journal of Research in

Animal Sciences An International Open Access Online

Research Journal

INTROCUTION:

Heavy metals accumulate in the aquatic

organism through various sources like sediments, soil

erosion and runoff, air depositions of dust, aerosol, and

discharge of waste water (Labonne et al., 2001; Goodwin

et al., 2003). But majority of aquatic ecosystems are

greatly affected by the industrial waste containing variety

of heavy metals. Heavy metals from industries not only

disturb the aquatic environment but leads to

environmental health hazards (Shukla et al., 2007; Gupta

and Srivastava, 2006; Agtas et al., 2007; Yoon et al.,

2008).

Zinc is a common trace metal essential in minute

quantities for mammal and fish (Frieden, 1972 and

Holcombe et. al., 1979), and is generally regarded as one

of the less hazardous element, though its toxicity may be

enhanced by the presence of other heavy metals like

cadmium, copper and ferrous etc. However small

quantities of zinc are required for normal development

and metabolism of organisms, if levels exceed the

physiological requirements, zinc can act as a toxicant.

Exposure to excess zinc has been reported to bring about

biochemical as well as histological changes in various

organs of fishes (Agrawal and Srivastava, 2003;

Srivastava and Verma, 2009). Indeed, much work is

available on the effect of zinc on various aspects of

animal behavior, histopathology, biochemical and

histochemical variation etc. But very little work has

been done with respect to effect of heavy metal on

physicochemical change of water (Bacher and Chilke,

2012) upon exposure to fish in general. In the present

work the attempt was made to fill out the lacunae by

correlating the effect of zinc on alteration of

physicochemical properties of water upon exposure to

Ophiocephalus puctatus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Healthy fingerlings of Ophiocephalus puctatus

measuring the size 12-15cm were purchased from

fisherman of Mulchera (District-Gadchiroli). It was

carried to the laboratory in hygienic condition and

acclimatized for fifteen days. During this period of

acclimatization fish were fed with boiled eggs and rice

bran. Zinc LC-50 for 96 hrs was carried out thrice to

confirm exact dose of LC-50. Then the fish were divided

into six groups. Each group was contained twenty fish

each. Later all these fish were exposed to lethal

concentration of Zinc for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs. The

estimation of water was carried out at the interval of 24

hrs after real start time. All the physicochemical

parameters were tested according to APHA (1989).

Values were calculated by one way ANOVA with

software Graph pad-5 demo version.

RESULTS:

It fact the zinc is an essential inorganic element

requires to perform normal physiological function.

Deficiency of this element affects the general

physiology. However the higher concentration causes

the detrimental effect to all the aquatic organisms. In the

present study we observed that the Ophiocephalus

punctatus exhibited 50% mortality at 44.25mg/l of zinc

chloride.

At 50% lethal concentration of zinc chloride fish

exhibited notable changes in its behavior like continuous

fin movement, intermittent twitch and rapid opening and

closing of operculum and mouth. All these activities

were much more frequent in initial time of exposure

compared to the later period but remained higher than the

control throughout the experimental period. It was

observed that the exposed fish secreted large quantity of

mucus from 24 hrs to 96 hrs and till 96 hrs caudal region

became blood red colored (Fig. 1).

Atmospheric temperature was constant (25°C)

during experimental tenure i.e. from 24 to 72 hours of

exposure. However, the water temperature was gradually

increased from 24 to 72 hrs. and at 96 hrs it was

observed to decrease (Table-1, Fig. 2).

Bacher and Chilke, 2012

008 Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2012) 1: 007-012

The water conductivity was steadily increased

(Table-1, Fig. 3) from 24 to 96 hrs, the maximum

conductivity (0.519 ± 0.006) was observed at 96 hrs. and

lowest at 24 hrs (0.379 ± 0.011). However the pH

(negative logarithmic hydrogen ion concentration) also

increased perpetually from 24 to 96 hours of exposure

(Fig. 4). The maximum pH (6.84 ± 0.013) was noticed

on fourth day (96 hrs) of exposure and minimum (6.35 ±

0.009) at 24 hrs.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) in water was maximum

(Fig. 5) at 24 hrs (0.68 ± 0.87 mg/l) and minimum (0.28

± 0.60 mg/l) was recorded at 98 hrs. The DO was

observed decreasing consistently from 24 to 96 hrs of

exposure. But opposite results were obtained for the free

carbon dioxide. The free carbon dioxide was

continuously increased from 48 to 96 hrs. (Fig. 6), it was

recorded minimum at 24 hrs and maximum at 96 hrs of

exposure.

It was also observed that the total alkalinity as

calcium carbonate increased consistently similar to free

carbon dioxide from 24 to 96 hrs. The total alkalinity

was noted minimum at 24 hrs and maximum at 96 hrs

(Fig. 7).

DISCUSSION:

Zinc has been recognized to play a vital role in

almost all aspects of living systems either directly or

indirectly (Alabaster and Lloyd, 1982 and Shukla et al.,

2003). When zinc occurs at higher levels than normal, it

can act as a pollutant (Agrawal and Srivastava, 2003).

However, no report is available on the extent of changes

in the physicochemical factors of water after exposure of

fish to the LC-50 of Zinc chloride. Therefore the present

study was undertaken to find out the induction of change

in the physicochemical factors of water upon exposure of


Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2012) 1: 007-012 009

Fig 1. Ophiocephalaus punctatus showing an excess

secretion of mucous and redness of caudal fin on

exposure to Zinc Chloride LC-50 up to 96 hrs.

Fig 2. Showing the difference in Ambient and Water

Temperature during the experiment from 24hrs to

96hrs upon exposure of Ophiocephalaus punctatus to

Zinc LC-50.

Fig 3. Showing change in Water Conductivity from

24hrs to 96hrs upon exposure of Ophiocephalaus

punctatus to Zinc LC-50.

Ophiocephalus punctatus to the Zinc chloride.

The murrel O. punctatus is well known to live in

oxygen deficit polluted water in the Indian fresh water

ecosystem due to presence of accessory respiratory

organs. Bacher and Chilke (2012) have reported the

effect of Cadmium LC-50 on the alternation of

physicochemical characteristics of water.

It has been observed that the ambient

temperature influence the temperature of aquatic media

and in general temperature of water is always lower than

the ambient temperature. The Zinc at LC-50 were

observed to decrease initially value of temperature till 72

hrs of exposure and later in 96 hrs that got insignificantly

increased. This decrease in temperature could be due to

decrease in basic metabolic rate of fish. It was observed

that the fish showed continuous movement of mouth,

operculum and fins but fish was quiescent. However in

the last period of experiment from 72 to 96 hrs the entire

activity was seemed to increase as compared to earlier

period along with excessive secretion of mucus. This

could be implicated to slightly increase in basic

metabolic rate of fish till 96 hrs of incubation.

The overall conductivity of water consistently

increased from 24 to 96 hrs of exposure and this increase

in water conductivity could be due to successive increase

in the ionic strength of water. It could be concluded that

the zinc at above tolerance capacity induce the loss of

ions by the fish. The pH of water gradually changed from

the first day of exposure till 96 hrs was reported (Bacher

and Chilke, 2012) upon exposure of fish to cadmium

chloride LC-50. The same was observed in the present

study that zinc also induces the loss of protons by the



Fig 5. Showing alternation in Dissolved Oxygen in

water during the experiment from 24hrs to 96hrs

upon exposure of Ophiocephalaus punctatus to Zinc

LC-50.

Table-1. Effect of Zinc chloride (LC-50) on Physicochemical Parameters of Water

Sr.No. Parameters 24-Hrs 48-Hrs 72-Hrs 96Hrs.

1 Ambient Temp. 25 °C 25°C 25°C 25°C

2 Water Temp. 24°C 24°C 23.2°C 23.3°C

3 Conductivity 0.379 ± 0.011 0.452 ± 0.006 0.483 ± 0.008 0.519 ± 0.006

4 pH 6.35 ± 0.009 6.43 ± 0.011 6.70 ± 0.013 6.84 ± 0.013

5 Dissolved O2 0.68 ± 0.87 0.58 ± 0.60 0.45 ± 0.60 0.28 ± 0.60

6 Free CO2 15.48 ± 0.14 21.51 ± 0.28 23.39 ± 0.11 27.69 ± 0.15

7 Total Alkalinity 23.67 ± 0.42 25.5 ± 0.43 27.33 ± 0.49 32.67 ± 1.05

Fig 4. Showing change in pH (logarithmic hydrogen

ion concentration) during the experiment from 24hrs

to 96hrs upon exposure of Ophiocephalaus punctatus

to Zinc LC-50.

fish at lethal concentration-50.

The gases like the oxygen and the carbon dioxide

exhibited dramatic change from 24 to 96 hrs. It was

observed that quantitatively the level of oxygen

decreased and contrary to this the level of carbon dioxide

increased. This finding indicates the rate of oxygen

consumption increased and hence the carbon dioxide

level in water increased might be due to increase in

metabolic rate of fish. The total alkalinity as calcium

carbonate was also increased from 24 to 96 hrs of

exposure could be due to loss of calcium by the fish

which reacts with the excess of carbonic acid to form the

calcium carbonate.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Authors are very thankful to the Principal, Shree

Shivaji Arts, Commerce and Science College, Rajura

(M.S.) for providing the laboratory facilities.

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Journal of Research in Animal Sciences (2012) 1: 007-012 011

Fig 7. Showing change in Total Alkalinity in water

during the experiment from 24hrs to 96hrs upon

exposure of Ophiocephalaus punctatus to Zinc

LC-50.

Fig 6. Showing variation in Free Carbon dioxide in

water fom 24hrs to 96hrs upon exposure of

Ophiocephalaus punctatus to Zinc LC-50.

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