Effect of mining activities and industrialization on fishes of brahmani river

Abstract

Extensive urban expansion and rapid industrialization along the banks, combined with dynamic demographic shifts and fluctuations in climate, have led to significant pollution concerns in the Brahmani River. As the second largest river in Odisha, the Brahmani hosts major industrial establishments like the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), coal based Thermal Power Plants, National Aluminium Company (NALCO), Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex, Bhusan Steel Plant, and Nava Bharat Ferroalloys along its course. A multitude of drains carrying industrial effluents, urban waste, and mining remnants join the Brahmani River, causing the accumulation of various toxic metals and consequent deterioration in water quality, resulting in a detrimental ecological impact on living organisms. newlineAquatic life, especially fish, is particularly vulnerable to metal exposure, as they absorb these contaminants directly from their food and surrounding water, accumulating them in their tissues at rates several times higher than those found in the water. Moreover, the consumption of contaminated fish species has been identified as a significant pathway for human exposure to these pollutants. Against this backdrop, the current research aimed to evaluate the water quality of the Brahmani River and the concentration of toxic metals in both the water and various tissues of the edible fish Labeo bata, gathered from four specific sites along the course of the Brahmani River in and around the Talcher industrial complex. This study represents the first endeavor to assess potential oxidative stress biomarkers in fish tissues from different locations, seeking to comprehend the ecotoxicological implications of toxic metals on fish populations, determine the extent of water contamination, and quantify the associated human health risks linked to the consumption of fish, employing a variety of indices. newlineThe examination of metal concentrations, including chromium, lead, and iron, was conducted in the muscle and liver tissues of fishes obtained from three distinct samp