Acute effects of acetaminophen on the developmental, swimming performance and cardiovascular activities of the African catfish embryos/larvae (Clarias gariepinus)

Acetaminophen is a widely used analgesic that has been detected in many water bodies with few reports concerning its potential toxicity to fish. This study sought to assess the developmental, swimming performance and cardiovascular activities of embryo/larvae catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed to acetaminophen. The Organization for Economic Development (OECD) Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity Test (OECD 236) was employed. Fertilized embryo were exposed to different concentrations of acetaminophen (0, 0.5, 1, 10 µg/L) for 96 h. Hatching rates of the embryo were observed to decrease with increasing concentrations of acetaminophen. Fish embryo exposed to acetaminophen displayed varying levels of teratogenic effects at different levels of development in a dose-dependent manner. The results also showed a significant (p