Effect of steel plant effluent on acid and alkaline - Integrated ...

<strong>Effect</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>steel</strong> <strong>plant</strong> <strong>effluent</strong> on acid and alkaline phosphatases <strong>of</strong> gills, liver and gonads <strong>of</strong> Cyprinus carpio
Linn. (1758)
significantly reduced (Brett, 1958). A series <strong>of</strong> morphological, biochemical and
physiological changes occur as a result <strong>of</strong> stress and constitute the General Adaptation
Syndrome (Wedemeyer et al,1999). Hence, studying the changes in biochemical constituents
and enzyme activities <strong>of</strong> tissues are important to determine the nature and extent <strong>of</strong> toxicants
effects on organisms (Murthy, 1985; Heath, 1987) and can provide an early warning that
pollution is reaching harmful levels. With their ability to detect sudden changes in
environment and monitor short or long term changes in water quality, fishes thus make
efficient biomarkers.
Phenol and phenolic compounds are stressful environmental factors which because <strong>of</strong> their
lipophilic properties present a threat against natural environment and also to human health
(Hori et al., 2006).They have been found to induce genotoxic (Jagetia and Aruna, 1997),
carcinogenic (Tsutsui et al., 1997) and immunotoxic effects (Taysse et al., 1995)on fish
health, besides causing reduction in fish weight and fertility (Saha et al., 1999). Some
phenolic compounds, such as, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Polychlorinated
biphenyls are Endocrine disrupters (Kashiwada et al., 2002; Pait and Nelson, 2003; Tollefsen,
2006; Barse et al., 2006; Martin­Skilton et al., 2006) and adversely affect fish metabolism
(Gupta et al., 1983; Abdel­Hameid, 1994). Most importantly, phenol has been listed in the
NRWQC as a priority pollutant with an organoleptic effect criterion <strong>of</strong> 300µg/l
(USEPA,2009).Hence, it is very toxic to fish and has a unique quality <strong>of</strong> tainting the taste <strong>of</strong>
fish if present in marine environments at 0.1­1.0 ppm (Kirk and Othmer,1982;
Neff,2002).Thus, the importance <strong>of</strong> taking into consideration phenol intoxication in natural
aquatic habitats becomes evident.
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (EC 3.1.3.1) is a hydrolase enzyme responsible for removing
phosphate groups from many types <strong>of</strong> molecules, such as, nucleotides, proteins and alkaloids.
It is a P­stress marker enzyme most effective in an alkaline environment, that catalyzes the
hydrolysis <strong>of</strong> phosphorous compounds and the transfer <strong>of</strong> phosphoryl groups to an acceptor
molecule. The rate <strong>of</strong> catalytic activity <strong>of</strong> the enzyme is inversely proportional to the
concentration <strong>of</strong> inorganic phosphate in the ambient environment (Dyhrman & Palanik 1999).
This enzyme could serve as a good indicator <strong>of</strong> intoxication because <strong>of</strong> its sensitivity to
metallic salts (Boge et al, 1992).Acid phosphatase,on the other hand is a phosphatase which
frees attached phosphate groups from other molecules during digestion. It is a
lysosomal ,hydrolytic enzyme with an acid pH optimum .It takes part in the dissolution <strong>of</strong>
dead cells and as such serves as a good indicator <strong>of</strong> stress condition in the biological system
(Gupta et al, 1983; Verma et al., 1984).
The gills are the most delicate structures <strong>of</strong> the teleost body and their vulnerability has thus
considerable importance because <strong>of</strong> their external location and necessarily intimate contact
with water, which means that they are liable to damage by any irritant material in the water
whether dissolved or suspended (Roberts ,1978). Therefore, they are potentially useful to
monitor the health <strong>of</strong> fish (Pawert et al, 1998; Mallatt ,1985 and Mallatt et al,1995).
The Bhilai Steel Plant is an integrated <strong>steel</strong> <strong>plant</strong> situated 30 kilometers (west) <strong>of</strong> Raipur, the
capital <strong>of</strong> Chhattisgarh. Besides the major marketable product that is good quality <strong>steel</strong>, it
also produces important by products, such as, Coal tar, Naphthalene and Benzol, which is
further rectified to Benzene, Toluene and Xylene. Effluents generated in the three main units
are further dumped into the two local rivers, the Kharoon and the Sheonath through various
channels. The coke oven <strong>effluent</strong> has strong phenolic odour and contains a high amount <strong>of</strong>
phenol, besides the presence <strong>of</strong> other toxic substances (Sinha, 1999, PhD Thesis). It is
Chetna Bakde, Aditi Niyogi Poddar
International Journal <strong>of</strong> Environmental Sciences Volume 1 No.6, 2011
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