Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Lead Induce Toxic Stress in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54987/jemat.v14i1.213Keywords:
Lead, Biomarkers, Aquatic ecosystems, Oxidative stress, ToxicityAbstract
Lead (Pb) is a common toxic metal and can be harmful to fish health even at low concentrations. The toxicity of environmentally relevant nominal concentrations of Pb (0.125-1.000 mg/L) to juvenile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus; initial total length 9.1 +/- 0.5 cm; body weight 10.6 +/- 2.3 g) was studied for 28 days with continuous aeration (dissolved oxygen 5.2-5.4 mg/L). Measured and nominal Pb concentrations were highly correlated (R2 = 0.9995, p = 0.0002). Tissue Pb concentration increased with waterborne Pb concentration (p = 0.0004) and the average bioconcentration factor was 0.33 L/kg. Viscerosomatic and hepatosomatic indices were lower in Pb-exposed fish than in controls while gonadosomatic index was not significantly different among groups. Water temperature and pH were relatively stable and electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids varied among treatments. Reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase differed significantly among groups, while catalase activity did not. Electrical conductivity was positively correlated with total dissolved solids (r = 0.97) and negatively correlated with pH (r = -0.90). These results show that environmentally relevant Pb exposure can modify organ condition, tissue metal burden, and oxidative-stress responses in juvenile Nile tilapia, supporting the need for routine monitoring of Pb in freshwater and aquaculture systems.
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