Potential Consequences of Water-Soluble Acetaminophen-Chromium Combination in Clarias Gariepinus: Bioaccumulation and Oxidative Perturbations of Antioxidant Enzyme Activities

In this study, emerging-recalcitrant water contaminants were examined to determine their impact on water quality and oxidative disruption of antioxidant markers in Clarias gariepinus (African catfish). Fifty C. gariepinus were randomly exposed to fresh water, 250 mg/L acetaminophen (ACT), 0.525 mg/L chromium (Cr) and a mixture of ACT+Cr – dosed water for 21 days. As compared to the control, dosed water did not significantly (p ˃ 0.05) affect dissolved oxygen (DO), but biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) significantly increased in ACT, ACT+Cr, and Cr-dosed water. Levels of ACT in C. gariepinus exposed to different concentrations followed by kidney ˃ gill ˃ liver ˃ heart. Likewise, higher Cr presence was found in C. gariepinus gills exposed to 0.350 mg/L Cr. Accordingly, kidneys and gills were the worst affected organs by ACT and Cr accumulation. All the targeted organs of C. gariepinus exposed to different concentrations of ACT+Cr showed a concentration-dependent reduction in catalase (CAT) activity, indicating the synergistic effects of ACT and heavy metals. Based on these results, ACT and Cr adversely affect the kidneys and gills of C. gariepinus, compromising their physiological activity. As a result, pharmaceutical wastes and heavy metal effluents released into the aquatic environment indiscriminately need to be monitored. Keywords Acetaminophen, Bioaccumulation, Clarias gariepinus, Chromium, Enzymatic antioxidant