GLOBAL JOURNAL OF FISHERIES SCIENCE
Integrity Research Journals
ISSN: 2782-750X
Model: Open Access/Peer Reviewed
DOI: 10.31248/GJFS
Start Year: 2018
Email: gjfs@integrityresjournals.org
Influence of heavy metals toxicity on bioaccumulation and histopathological changes in the tissues of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) at Watari Reservoir of Bagwai in Kano State, Nigeria
https://doi.org/10.31248/GJFS2025.092 | Article Number: 4EFA143D2 | Vol.8 (1) - February 2026
Received Date: 20 September 2025 | Accepted Date: 12 December 2025 | Published Date: 28 February 2026
Authors: Jamila Muhammad Juma’ah , Mustapha Baba Geidam* , Abubakar Bala Abdullahi , Yakubu Ali Musa , Lawan Alhaji Ahmed and Balarabe Usman Getso
Keywords: Heavy metals, Bio-accumulation, health hazards, histopathological changes, pollution of effluents, Watari Reservoir.
This research assessed the impacts of pollution status on the reservoir that revealed insight into the bioaccumulation and histopathological changes in gills and liver tissues of C. gariepinus between February and September 2023. The atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Leica DM 750 microscope and Leica ICE 50 HD were used for heavy metals concentrations and photomicrographs. Thus, the data obtained were statistically analysed with IBM-SPSS Version 22. These findings revealed that the tissues were bioaccumulated with different heavy metal concentrations. Evidently, it was discovered that the severity of the tissues damage differed according to the site. This was attributed to a constant influx of different kinds of pollutants into the Watari Reservoir. Also, it was revealed that the level of Cu was significantly higher in gill tissue with 2.90mg/kg as compared with the other heavy metals, and the lowest was found in the liver with 1.04. Notwithstanding, Pb, Cr and Cd also significantly followed the same pattern. Moreover, all the heavy metals obtained were above the safety level of 0.01mg/kg prescribed by FAO/WHO. Thus, it is expected that these affected fishes, when continuously consumed, can bioaccumulate in the end users, and then it affects the health of the consumer. However, the photomicrographs of the C. gariepinus tissues from the Up-Stream, Mid-Stream and Down-Stream exposes cellular alterations such as deformed epithelia, inflamed lamellae and disrupted gill filaments. Also, deformed hepatocytes, cellular infiltration and haemorrhage were observed in the liver. Therefore, it is recommended to provide wastewater catchment basins and treatment plants to treat in order to regulate or to stop the direct discharge of effluents into the water bodies. Hence, this may curtail the menace that can disrupt the survival of the aquatic organisms, especially fish species in the reservoir, and directly or indirectly affect human lives.
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