IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

IIARD INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (IJGEM )

E-ISSN 2504-8821
P-ISSN 2695-1878
VOL. 11 NO. 5 2025
DOI: 10.56201/ijgem.vol.11.no5.2025.pg70.77

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Histology Based Ecotoxicity Assessment: using the Gills of Tympanotonus fuscatus to Evaluate the Environmental Status of Bodo and Creek Road Water Bodies in Rivers State, Nigeria

Theodore A Allison and Yirate Bariereyiga Nadum

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Abstract

This study involves the use of the histology of the gills of a periwinkle species, Tympanotonus fuscatus, as a biomarker tool, to investigate and evaluate the ecological pollution status of two different water bodies, Bodo and Creek Road water-sides, in River State. The study involved the sampling of ten (10) feral table sized fish from two stations along the creeks of the experimental sites (Bodo and Creek Road water bodies), with similar specie, size and number from a reference site (ARAC – African Aqua-culture Centre). The test fish gills were harvested from the fish caught from both experimental sites for histological evaluation, while the control gills were harvested from fish harvested from ARAC. The percentage prevalence of histological alterations showed that fish from Bodo water-body had the worse outcome (25%), followed by Creek Road water-body (21.7%) and ARAC having the best outcome (6.6%). Gills histology has proven to be an explorable biomarker for evaluation of environmental status.

keywords:

Histology, Gills, Biomarker, Ecotoxicology, Periwinkle and Aquatic Environment.

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