EFFECT OF SUBLETHAL CONCENTRATION OF PHENOL ON SELECTED HAEMATOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF Oreochromis niloticus

Phenol and its compounds are ubiquitous water pollutants which come to the natural water resources from the effluents of a variety of chemical industries such as coal refineries, phenol manufacturing industries, pharmaceuticals, and industries of resin, paint, textile, leather and pulp mill etc, besides this phenol is a major constituent of plywood effluents. Perumbavoor, Ernakulam (District) of Kerala is a one of the major plywood industry belt and hundreds of factories have been working in a limited area. All these plywood factories are discharging the effluents directly into the nearby water bodies without any proper treatment. Blood from dosed fishes was assayed for selected haematological parameters (haemoglobin, red blood cell counts, white blood cell counts, PCV) and biochemical parameters (total protein, glucose, globulin, and albumin). There was a significant negative correlation between dosage concentration and haemoglobin (p < 0.05); dosage concentration and RBC count (p < 0.05); PCV and dosage concentration (p < 0.05) and dosage concentration and protein concentration (p >0.05) in fish. A significant positive correlation was observed between WBC count and dosage concentration and glucose level and dosage concentration. As the dosage increases the WBC count also increases gradually; in control the average value was 122 x 103 cells/cc, in 1/10th dilution it was 133 x 103 cells/cc, in 1/5th dilution is was 135 x 103 cells/cc whereas in 1/2nd dilution is was 136 x 103 cells/cc. It is noted that phenol adversely affects the normal life of the organisms and invariably alters all the biochemical parameters of the body.