OWODE RIVER WATER QUALITY MONITORING AND BIOCHEMICAL INDICES IN FISH MUSCLE

ABSTRACT Water quality monitoring is crucial for assessing the health of aquatic environments and the organisms living within them. When it comes to studying cellular stress response in fish muscle, researchers often focus on how environmental factors, like water quality, can impact the physiological processes within fish. Furthermore, fish muscles are frequently utilized as indicators of environmental stress, such as oxidative stress caused by pollution or poor water quality. This project work was aimed to evaluate the water quality of Owode river in Ogbomoso town. Due to agricultural practice and urban wastewater, using fish muscle as one of the biomarkers to monitor the quality river for the health benefit of aquatic organisms. The specie of fish used was Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Water and fish samples were collected from Owode river and private fish breeders. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, temperature, Biological Oxygen Dissolved, chemical oxygen dissolved, turbidity, and electrical conductivity were measured to determine the extent of the pollution in the river compared to the pond. More so, the biochemical assays such as lipid peroxidation (measured by malondialdehyde [MDA] levels), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, total protein concentration, non-protein sulfhydryl (NPSH) concentration, and superoxide dismutase activity were measured. These assays were carried out on fish muscle which was homogenized. The results demonstrated significant differences in muscle activities of SOD, MDA, AChE and NSHP in Owode river compared to private fish breeders. The water sample from Owode river showed a slighty acidic pH of 6.70-7.20 compared to the pH 7.40- 7.60 of the control site. The electric conductivity of the river was lower than that of the control site, this was the only physicochemical parameter that had a lower value in the river compared to the pond. The fish from the river exhibited lower average weights and lengths. The results showed that the levels of SOD, MDA, AChE and NPSH in the river were higher than that of the control site. Overall, the findings of this work show a decline in the water quality of Owode river. The elevated levels of the parameters in the river negatively impacts aquatic life and the health of the ecosystem. The compromised quality of the river could lead to detrimental effects on both the environment and the organism that depends on it.