Abstract:
Treated textile factory effluent could have remaining contaminants that
could change water quality parameters in receiving water. Kalu Ganga receives a
large volume of treated effluent at the area of Narthupana from a textile mill
factory. Present study was planned to evaluate the level of pollution at
approximately 1.5Km upstream to the point source (Site A), the point source of
Kalu Ganga (Site B), and about 1.5 Km downstream to the point source (Site C)
using water quality parameters and Degree of Tissue Change (DTC) in gill, liver
and ovarian tissues of two sensitive fish species. Fish catches of fishermen and
samples collected using a cast net were observed; Rasbora daniconius and
Puntius sarana that were present in sites A and C but were absent in site B were
taken as two sensitive fish species. These fish were exposed to water collected
from 3 sampling sites of Kalu Ganga and tissues were preserved for histological
studies.
Site B had the lowest mean DO (4.94 mgr'), highest mean water
temperature (32.1 QC), pH (8.40), conductivity (11.08 S/cm") and Total Dissolved
Solids (99.10 mg r') compared to sites A and C (P<0.05).
Mean DTC values observed for gill, liver and ovarian tissues of Rasbora
daniconius (27.00 , 25.75 and 21.00 respectively) and Puntius sarana (27.00 ,
16.00 and 8.00 respectively) that were exposed to water collected from site B
were significantly higher (P<0.05) than the DTC values recorded for respective
tissues of respective fish exposed to water collected from sites A and C. Level of
water pollution at the point source (site B) is significantly greater compared to
upstream (site A) and downstream (site C).
