Effect of Arsenic on Aquatic Animals: A Review

The origin and distribution of arsenic is mainly geogenic but anthropogenic activities can also lead to arsenic contamination across various environments. Although arsenic contamination in natural systems is often too low to cause mortality but it is sufficient to interfere with normal functioning of the body. Continuous exposure of freshwater organisms including fish to low concentrations of arsenic may result in bioaccumulation in which liver and kidney having high accumulation in most of the cases, altering growth, haematological and biochemical parameters as well as many physiological and biochemical activities in aquatic animals. The toxicological aspects of arsenic have mainly been discussed in connection with their environmental persistence and the ability of arsenic to induce a variety of adverse effects in aquatic animals, particularly in fish. The arsenic even at very low concentration is haemato-immunotoxic to fish and the changes observed haematological, immunological and biochemical parameters may provide a useful early biomarker of low-level xenobiotic exposure. The high solubility and mobility of arsenic in aquatic environments affects its global cycling.