Assessment of the Toxicity and Histo-Morphological Effects of Clint Car Wash Liquid Soap on African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Fingerlings

The effect of clint car wash liquid soap on the histopathology of the gills of Clarias gariepinus fingerling was investigated in the present study. The fish specimens were exposed to graded acute concentrations of the water-soluble fraction of clint liquid soap (0.0, 10.0, 12.0, 14.0, and 16.0 mg/l) for 96 h, during which time-dependent (24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h) lethal concentrations of the toxicant were monitored for mortality, behavioral changes, histopathological changes in the gill of the grouped specimens were evaluated. Based on the findings, the 96-h median lethal concentrations of the water-soluble fraction of clint liquid soap to C. gariepinus fingerlings was established to be at 8.0 mg/l representing a log transformed concentration of 0.90 mg/l. The study further indicate that the toxicant affected water quality conditions of the test media in a concentration-dependent manner. Consequently, WSF of clint liquid soap elicited prominent behavioral aberrations (excessive mucus secretion, air gulping, respiratory distress, erratic swimming and vertical erection) and induced histopathological lesions in the gills of C. gariepinus fingerlings after 96-h exposure duration. The use of clint car wash liquid soap for washing car should be applied with caution in order to avert catastrophic events in the aquatic ecosystems.

Keywords: Clint Car Wash Liquid Soap, African Catfish, Toxicity, histomorphological Effects, Fingerlings, Aquatic Environment.