Impact of Microplastics and Heavy Metals on Fish Health in the Kathajodi River, Odisha, India: A Micronucleus and Hematological Study

The present study highlights the critical issue of water pollution in the Kathajodi River and its detrimental effects on aquatic life, particularly through the lens of hematological and genetic damage in fish. Utilizing the micronucleus assay as a biomarker for pollution provides a valuable methodology for assessing environmental health and the impact of anthropogenic activities on ecosystems. Water pollutants include contamination due to domestic wastes, insecticides, herbicides, food processing wastes, water pollution from livestock operations, organic compounds, heavy metals, domestic wastes, chemicals waste and others. Kathajodi River water is highly polluted. The alkalinity, hardness, and pH of water have changed in the last few years. Plastics, city sewage and industrial waste are released into the river for drainage purposes. Microplastics and Heavy metals like Pb, Fe, Cu, Mn, and K quantity increase and microplastics have the quality to absorb heavy metals to form dangerous compounds which cause hematological and genetic damage to the aquatic ecosystem. Fish are the best biomarkers to find out the threats towards aquatic ecosystems. Water pollution causes hematological damage as well as genetic damage and the formation of micronucleus. Water sample analysis occurs by evaporation method for extraction of heavy metals and microplastic particles. Fish species like Labeo rohita, Catla catla, Cirrhinus mrigala, Cirrihinus reba were collected from the several stations of Cuttack 20.440N 85.880E to 20.460N -85.890E area and for Hematological study blood was collected by puncturing the caudal vein. Micronucleus assays were done by use of the Giemsa staining method as a result it shows formation of micronucleus and DNA damage which indicates the presence of high levels of pollutants in the water of River Kathajodi Cuttack Odisha. Genotoxic pollution of aquatic ecosystems describes the introduction of contaminants with mutagenic teratogenic and carcinogenic potential into the principal media and genome of the resident organism. Increasing levels of pollutants produce a stressful environment which causes hematological, nuclear and DNA damage somehow creating a question mark regarding the effect of this on human health.