Effect of Hair Dressing Salon Effluent on the Juveniles of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

The toxicity of hair dressing salon effluent on Clarias gariepinus juveniles was studied using static bioassay method. This study investigated haematological, histopathological and biochemical changes in Clarias gariepinus juveniles. The fish samples were distributed randomly into T1 (800 ml/L), T2 (600 ml/L), T3 (400 ml/L), T4 (200 ml/L), and T5 control (water alone). All samples were studied in three replicates, in a completely randomized experiment. Mortality increased with  increased effluent concentrations; 250.96 ml/L was recorded as LC50 for 96 h. Various behavioural changes observed in fishes before death include: odd swimming patterns, jerk movements, bottom resting and loss of appetite. Histopathological changes were observed in treated fishes while the livers and gills of the control fishes showed normal histological 
appearance. It was concluded that hair dressing salon effluents had some negative effect on histopathology and behavioural responses of juvenile Clarias gariepinus. Therefore, it is recommended that the effluent should be properly treated before being discharged into the environment.