Evaluation of pollution of Ganga River water using fish as bioindicator

Abstract

Ganga River, life line of millions of people got heavily polluted due to uncontrolled anthropogenic activities. To monitor the effect of pollution of the river on its aquatic life, a field study was conducted by analyzing the different biomarker enzymes and biochemical parameters in the various tissues (muscles, liver, gills, kidney, brain, and skin) of the Indian major carp Labeo rohita collected from the River Ganga from different study sites of Varanasi district. Activities of antioxidant enzymes, e.g., superoxide dismutase, catalase, and level of lipid peroxidation were found to be higher in the fish collected from the river showing pollutant-induced oxidative stress in the fish. Disturbed health status of the river fish was also manifested by increased activities of aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, and alkaline phosphatase. Concentration of nutritionally important biomolecules (proteins, lipids, and moisture) and energy value were also found to be significantly lower in the tissues of the River fish indicating its decreased nutritional value due to oxidative stress caused by different pollutants.

The use of biomarkers in the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as biological signals to track Nile contamination in Egypt.

“…This can be attributed to the alteration in the activity of glucose-6phosphate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase previously detected by Osman and Harabawy (2010). The concentration of proteins, lipids, and moisture) as well as energy value were found to be significantly lower in the tissues of the river fish due to oxidative stress induced by various contaminants (Vaseem and Banerjee, 2016). The chemical pollutants modulate the metabolism of carbohydrates, causing hyperglycemia by stimulating the glycogenolysis in fish (Lévesque et al, 2002).…”

Heavy metal toxicity in Buriganga river alters the immunology of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L)

“…The study also observed that nitrite pollution increased the accumulation of MDA but it showed the decreasing activity of SOD unlike our result of this experiment. Vaseem and Banerjee [84] found the increased activities SOD, CAT, and increased level of MDA in the fish collected from the heavily polluted river because of uncontrolled anthropogenic activities. They concluded that the result was indicating the pollutant-induced oxidative stress in the fish.…”

A review of governance and tenure in inland capture fisheries and aquaculture systems of India

“…High levels of toxicity in fish across almost all waterbodies are a serious concern. Pollution sources include point and non-point agricultural sources (fertilizers and pesticides), sewage (the dominant source of water pollution), solid wastes, domestic wastes, plastics and microplastics, industrial wastes, effluents, oil spills, and in some cases, radioactive wastes (Hameed et al, 1997;Sinha and Khan, 2001;Das, Samanta and Saha, 2007;Gadgil and Heda, 2009;Jha, 2009;Vaseem and Banerjee, 2016;Das, 2018). Fishing nets also contribute to plastic pollution in rivers (Nelms et al, 2021).…”