Adverse Effects of Water Contamination by Anthropogenic Activities on the Haematology of Cyprinus carpio: A Study from East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, India

The present study aims at evaluating the extent of adverse effects of water contamination by anthropogenic and natural activities in two government sponsored ponds, Fish Dale and Laitkyrhong on the fish Cyprinus carpio. The adverse effects of the water quality were evaluated in terms of their impacts on haematological, ultra-structural aspects and bioaccumulation of metals in the fish. Total RBC and WBC count and haemoglobin content were carried out following standard procedure using improved Neubauer haemocytometer and Sahli’s haemoglobinometer respectively. Micronucleus assay was done following standard protocols and observations were made using Olympus, BX- 53 image analyser, CellSens Standard (software). Genotoxicity study (Micronucleus Assay) was carried out following standard procedure. For Scanning Electron Microscopic studies standard procedure was followed and observations were made on JSM-6360 (Jeol) scanning electron microscope. Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy analysis was by INCA-7582 (Oxford) microanalyser. The statistical analysis was performed with the help of Exel sheet software. The presence of silicon in erythrocytes of fishes inhabiting Fish Dale and Laitkyrhong area suggests that silicon may be the main factor for the various deformities like spherocytes, crenated erythrocytes and ruptured cells in the haematological parameters of Cyprinus carpio, besides other deformities. The deformities observed may affect the growth and survival of these fishes. Therefore, there is a constant need to check the flow of polluted waters in the rearing ponds especially during the rainy seasons. The present study suggests that haematological study may serve as a tool in determining the health of the fish and the type of environment in which it lives.