Bioaccumulation of Silver and Impairment of Vital Organs in Clarias gariepinus from Co-Exposure to Silver Nanoparticles and Cow Dung Contamination

• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-021-03403-4
• Publication Date: 2021-11-01T08:02:51Z
• Authors: Luqmon Azeez; Harun K. Aremu; Olalekan A. Olabode
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; Silver; Animals; Metal Nanoparticles; Cattle; Bioaccumulation; Antioxidants; Catfishes; Water Pollutants, Chemical; 6. Clean water

This study reports the implications of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and cow-dung contamination on water quality and oxidative perturbations in antioxidant biomarkers in the exposed Clarias gariepinus. Sixteen samples of C. gariepinus were exposed to fresh-water, 0.75 mg/mL each of AgNPs, cow-dung and a mixture of AgNPs-cow dung dosed water for 10 days. Cow-dung significantly (p < 0.05) depleted dissolved oxygen (DO) and increased biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) by 14% and 75% respectively. The trends of abundance and bioaccumulation of Ag in C. gariepinus exposed to different treatments followed kidney > muscle > gill > liver, implying the kidney was the worst affected organ. The AgNPs significantly (p < 0.05) perturbed vital organs in C. gariepinus by altering activities of antioxidant biomarkers, whereas AgNPs-cow dung had reduced perturbations implying organic matter bound Ag+ to reduce toxicity. These results conclude that AgNPs posed a challenging environment for C. gariepinus to thrive.