Biomarker responses of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to polluted water from Kelani river basin, Sri Lanka: Implications for biomonitoring river pollution

Biomarkers can be considered as early warning signals for potential adverse effects on the biota. The present study examined the feasibility of using selected biomarker responses of a model fish, Oreochromis niloticus under laboratory exposure approach for identification of potential biological impacts of pollution in Kelani River. Laboratory acclimated O. niloticus were exposed under static-renewal conditions to water samples collected from selected sites of the Kelani River basin with different anthropogenic influences and biomarker responses (brain and muscle cholinesterase activities for neurotoxicity, erythrocyte micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities for genotoxicity and liver histology for hepatic damage) were evaluated at 5 and 10 days of exposure. Exposed water was physico-chemically characterized using standard analytical methods. The results revealed that exposure of O. niloticus to the water from selected polluted sites which included canals and canal confluences resulted in significant increases (p