Toxicological effects of short-term exposure to 2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid on Heterpneustes fossilis
This study is aimed to evaluate the toxicity of selective herbicide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) after short term exposure on Heteropneustes fossilis. 40 Nos of fishes (50±5 g) were randomly divided into four groups and reared in water tank containing different doses of 2,4-D (50, 100 & 150 mgL-1) for 7 days except control group I. After completion of treatment period, fishes were sacrificed and processed for data analysis. 2,4-D treatment caused significant alterations of glycogen and protein content in the liver & muscle, histopathological changes in the liver as well as damages at the levels of chromosomes as observed by increased DNA fragmentation of the lymphocytes and increased percentage of micronuclei in the blood of the treated groups. In summary, short-term exposure to 2,4-D can cause dose dependent toxicological effects such as metabolic, histopathological and genotoxic alterations in H. fossilis. The intensive application of pesticides on farmlands is a serious environmental concern due to their potential run-off and leaching from the soil which ultimately contaminates water bodies. These contaminants may be absorbed by aquatic organisms like fishes, leading to biomagnification at several different trophic levels of the ecosystem.