Haematological changes in a freshwater teleost, Cyprinus carpio var. communis, exposed to acute and sublethal toxicity of copper sulphate were studied. During the acute treatment, erythrocyte and leucocyte count, and haemoglobin content increased, whereas during the sublethal treatment, erythrocyte count and haemoglobin content decreased and leucocyte count increased

Ramesh, M.

Aquatic Commons

Journal of the Indian Fisheries Association 
28, 2001, 131-136 
131 
TOXICITY OF COPPER SULPHATE ON SOME HAEMATOLOGICAL 
PARAMETERS OF A FRESHWATER TELEOST 
CYPRINUS CARPIO VAR. COMMUNIS 
M.RAMESH 
Unit of Pollution Biology) Department of Zoology) Bharathiar University) 
Coimbatore - 641 046 
ABSTRACT 
Heamtological changes in a freshwater teleost, Cyprinus carpio Var 
communis, exposed to acute and sublethal toxicity of copper sulphate were 
studied. During the acute treatment, erythrocyte and leucocyte count, and 
haemoglobin content increased, whereas during the sublethal treatment, 
erythrocyte count and haemoglobin content decreased, and leucocyte count 
increased. 
Keywords : Copper sulphate, erythrocyte, leucocyte, haemoglobin 
Rapid industrialization and constant 
discharge of effluents in aquatic ecosystems 
are important causes of heavy metal 
pollution of aquatic bodies (Salunk et al.) 
1982). Among heavy metals, copper is at 
present receiving the topmost attention in 
view of its high toxicity at relatively low 
concentration and a long biological halflife 
resulting in a cumulative effect in fish 
(Wong et al.) 1977). Alabaster and Lloyd 
(1982) observed that copper is found in 
natural waters as a trace metal, i.e., 
usually at concentrations < 5mg/l, but can 
also be present at much higher 
concentrations as a result of mining 
activities and other industrial processes to 
the level of the detriment to fish. 
Wedemeyer (1970) stated that 
haematological evaluation of fish blood 
provides valuable information concerning 
the physiological responses of fish to changes 
in the external environment. The blood 
parameters of diagnostic importance are 
erythrocyte and leucocyte counts and 
haemoglobin and haematocrit values. They 
readily respond to incidental factors such 
as physical stress- sampling and handling 
(Railo et al.) 1985) and environmental stress 
(pesticides, metals and effluents) due to 
water contaminants (Buckley, 1977). Hence, 
the present study has been made to find 
the haematological changes in fish, 
Cyprinus carpio) due to copper sulphate 
toxicity. 
Cyprinus carpio var. communis were 
collected from Tamil N adu Fisheries 
Development Corporation Limited, Aliyar 
Fish Farm, Aliyar, Tamil Nadu, and 
acclimatized to laboratory conditions for 
two weeks. During this period the fish 
were fed ad libitum with rice bran and 
groundnut oil cake. Water was changed 
132 NOTES 
daily and aerated to ensure sufficient oxygen 
supply.. The tap water was analysed for 
physico-chemical features following APHA 
(1971) and the values were: pH 7.2 ± 0.1; 
temperature 25.0 ± 2.0 °C; dissolved oxygen 
6.2 ±_0.02 mgll; salinity 0.6 ±_0.01 %o, 
total hardness 18 ±_ 0.5 mg/l and alkalinity 
17.5 (170- 180) mg/1. The healthy fish with 
an average weight of 4 g and length of 7-8 
em was selected for the experimental 
purpose. The LC50 of copper sulphate for 
24 hours is 0.55 mg/l (Finney, 1978). One 
tenth of the acute value (0.055) mgll) was 
taken for sublethal studies according to 
Sprague (1971). Fish were exposed to acute 
concentration for 24 hours and sublethal 
concentration for 35 days. During sublethal 
exposure, fish were fed ad libitum and the 
tox1cant was renewed daily, the physico -
chemical parameters were monitored 
regularly to maintain at the same level. A 
common control was maintained. Mter 24 
hours fish from acute concentration and 
from sublethal concentration at intervals 
of 7 days, were sacrificed with respective 
controls. Blood was drawn from heart by 
puncturing it using ice cold microsyringe. 
The whole blood was used for the estimation 
of erythrocytes, leucocytes and 
haemoglobin. Erythrocytes and leucocytes 
were counted using haemocytometer (Russia 
and sood, 1992). Haemoglobin content was 
estimated by cyanmethaemoglobin method 
(Drabkin, 1946). The significance between 
the sample mean of control and experimental 
fish was tested using students 't' test. 
The data in Table 1, shows that during 
the acute treatment, erythrocyte, and 
leucocyte counts and haemoglobin content 
increased showing a per cent increase of 
15.635, 16.29 and 15.689, respectively, at 
the end of 24 hours. 
During the sublethal treatment, the 
erythorocyte count showed a significant 
decrease reaching a maximum decrease of 
52.600% at the end of the 35th day. The 
decrease was directly proportional to the 
exposure period. The leucocyte count showed 
an increase throughout the exposure period 
showing a maximum increase of 41.7 4% at 
the end of the 14th day and a minimum 
increase ofl.O% at the end ofthe 16th day. 
The haemoglobin content decreased 
throughout the experimental period 
showing a maximum decrease of 79.893% 
at the end of the 28th day. 
The significant increase in the 
erythrocyte, and leucocyte counts and 
haemoglobin content during acute 
treatment is in confirmation with the works 
of Christensen et al. (1972), and Saxena 
and Chuahan (1994) in Ictalurus nebulosus 
and Heteropeustes fossilis, respectively 
exposed to acute concentration of copper. 
The increase in erythrocyte count may be 
due to the enhanced erythropoiesis which 
is triggered as a typical stress response 
(Gill and Pant, 1981) or asphyxia which 
rapidly leads to an increase in erythrocyte, 
haemoglobin and other constituents of the 
blood. 
The significant increase in the 
erythrocyte count during acute exposure is 
probably due to the tissue damage and 
subsequent removal of cell debris (Mcleay 
and Brown, 1974) or for contributing to 
immunity as well as removal of necrotic 
tissues (cellular debris). A marked increase 
Table 1: Changes in the Erythrocyte, Leucocyte count and Haemoglobin content offish Cyprinus carpio var. 
communis exposed to acute and sublethal concentration of copper sulphate. 
Exposure Erythrocyte (million!cu.mm) Leucocyte (thousand I cu.mm) fiaemoglobin(g/dl) 
Period Control Experimental Control Experimental Control Experimental 
Acute 1.535 ± 0.028 1.775 ± 0.010* 10.430 ± 0.000 12.130 ± 0.050* 5.029 ± 0.195 5.818 ± 0.028* 
Treatment (+ 15.635) ( + 16.229) (+ 15.689) 
(24h) (0.55 ppm) 
Sublethal Treatment(0.055ppm) 
(days) 
7 1.500 ± 0.032 1.280 .± 0.030* 10.350 ± 0.037 13.300 ± 0.120* 5.200 ± 0.280 4. 750 ± 0.060 
( -14.667) ( + 28.500) (- 8.654) 
14 1.550 ± 0.032 1.230 ± 0.030* 10.300 + 0.025 14.600 ± 0.040* 5.250 ± 0.140 8.750 + 0.458* 
(-20.645) (+41.748) (-28.571) 
21 1.550 ± 0.032 1.193 ± 0.118* 10.300 ± 0.025 10.880 ± 0.030* 4.255 ± 0.070 2.759 ± 0.093* 
(-23.032) (+5.631) (-35.159) 
28 1.550 ± 0.032 0.880 + 0.030* 10.290 ± 0.030 10.750 ± 0.020* 5.595 ± 0.124 1.125 + 0.030* 
(-46.450) (+4.470) (-79.893) 
35 1.540 ± 0.043 0. 730 + 0.030* 10.300 ± 0.032 10.400 ± 0.062 5.060 ± 0.060 1.551 ± 0.044* 
(-52.600) (+1.000) (-69.307) 
Values are mean± SE offive individual observation. Values in perentheses are percent changes over control.- sign denotes percent 
decrease over control.+ sign denotes percent increase over control. Degrees of freedom at 8t 0.05 = 2.306. 
z 
0 
>-3 
t_:rj 
w 
..... 
w 
w 
134 NOTES 
in haemoglobin content during acute 
treatment with copper sulphate may be a 
response to compensate impaired 
respiratory efficiency. A similar observation 
was reported by Chitra and Ramanarao 
(1986) and Rani (1999). 
Erythrocyte level was found to be 
depressed in fishes subjected to stressful 
conditions. The reduction in erythrocyte 
may be caused either by the inhibition of 
erythropoiesis or by the destruction of red 
blood cells. Iwama et al. (1986) reported 
that the destruction ofhaematopoietic tissue 
in kidney and spleen could result in 
decreased blood cell production and 
subsequent reduction in erythrocyte count. 
During sublethal treatment in the present 
study, the decrease in erythrocyte count 
might have been due to the severe anemic 
state causally related to prolonged exposure 
to copper or the hemolysing power of the 
toxicant, particularly on the red cells as 
suggested by Ahmad and Munshi (1989). 
Variations in leucocyte counts provide 
a better sensitivity index of stress than do 
changes in erythrocyte abundance (Mcleay 
and Gordon, 1977). Further, Nelson and 
Rani (1992) reported that the strength of a 
toxicant and the count of leucocytes are 
directly proportional. The increase in 
leucocyte count during the sublethal 
treatment in the present study may be due 
to leucocytosis, which is an adaptation to 
meet stressful condition by the animal. A 
similar observation as made by Sen et al. 
(1992) in Channa punctatus exposed to 
sublethal doses of zinc. 
Heavy metal toxicity decreased 
haemoglobin level in many fishes. Sharma 
et al. (1995) observed that the reduction in 
haemoglobin content can be related to the 
decreased erythrocyte number, which 
indicates hemolysis, hemorrhage and 
reduced erythropoiesis. Sen et al. (1992) 
reported that the significant reduction in 
haemoglobin level in C. punctatus exposed 
to zinc toxicity during sublethal treatment 
may be due to anemia associated with 
erythropenia. In the present study also, 
loss of erythrocytes was observed during 
the chronic study and this may be the 
reason of anemia which reflects in the 
decreased level ofhaemoglobin. 
The author wish to thank the Council 
for Scientific and Industrial Research, New 
Delhi, for the award of Research 
Associateship. 
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Toxicity of copper sulphate on some haematological parameters of a freshwater teleost Cyprinus carpio var. communis

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Toxicity of copper sulphate on some haematological parameters of a freshwater teleost Cyprinus carpio var. communis

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