SEM Studies on Erythrocyte Alterations in Ctenopharyngodon idellus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) induced by Fenvalerate

摘要

Pesticides used in agriculture may ultimately enter the aquatic environment, get biomagnified and cause severe environmental and health problems. Present investigation have been made to assess the detrimental effects of fenvalerate on the structural alterations of erythrocytes of a freshwater fish, Ctenopharyngodon idellus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) after exposure of the fish to two sublethal concentrations of the pesticide (1.2 ppm and 2 ppm) for 15, 30 and 60 days. The erythrocytes of the exposed fish exhibited various morphological alterations such as appearance of echinocytes, spherocytes and acanthocytes; contraction and serration of cell membrane, hole-like depressions on the surface of erythrocytes, lobopodial projections, etc. which were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These alterations increased with the increase in concentration of toxicant and duration of exposure.