Effect of Water Pollution in El-Rahawy Drainage Canal on Hematology and Organs of Freshwater Fish

This study was conducted to assess the effect of the water quality of El-Rahawy drain at El-Rahawy village, Egypt, on the African catfish Clarias gariepinus blood, biochemical parameters and histology of digestive tract, testis and ovaries. In addition to that, samples of water and C. gariepinus fish were collected from the River Nile at Delta Barrage in front of El-Kanater El-Khayria City as references for comparison. Also, certain heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Pb, Cd, Mn and Zn) in water were detected from the two sites. The present results showed that heavy metals concentrations in water are higher in El-Rahawy drain than in River Nile and this due to sewage and other pollutants discharge. The present results also, indicated that the bad water quality due to pollution, increased blood parameters in fish caught from El-Rahawy site than those of River Nile because the first site receives greater agricultural, industrial and domestic wastes than the second one. Lesions of histological deformations were detected and analyzed to clarify the effect of water pollution on fish organs. The study recommended treatment of the agricultural, industrial and sewage discharges before their entrance into El-Rahawy drain to protect the fish and people from the dangers of pollution.