STUDIES ON HAEMATOLOGICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS INDUCED BY SUBLETHAL CONCENTRATION OF FENOXAPROP-P-ETHYL ON FRESHWATER FISH CYPRINUS CARPIO

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of sublethal concentration of herbicide Fenoxaprop-Pethyl on freshwater edible fish Cyprinus carpio. Fishes exposed to a sublethal concentration of herbicide (37.5 µg L-1) for 15, 30, and 45 days following the semi-static bioassay method. Haematological and histopathological studies were carried out to evaluate the effects on the vital organs, including the liver, kidney, and gills. Haematological indices such as red blood cells (RBC), haemoglobin, lipid profile, liver function tests, and kidney function tests varied with increasing exposure period. Histopathological alterations revealed hyperplasia, telangiectasia, epithelial separation, and destruction of secondary lamellae in the gills of herbicide-exposed fishes. The liver showed vacuolation, necrosis, nuclear degeneration, and blood infiltration. The kidney exhibited dilated Bowman's space, haematopoietic necrosis, tubular necrosis, pyknosis, and dilated tubules. The histo-architectural changes were directly dependent on the duration of exposure and manifested an increased detrimental effect on the physiology of the fish Cyprinus carpio.