Nephrotoxic Effect of Sub-Acute Exposure of Treated Carbanaceous Effluent on Mice

Neurotoxicity tests in animals exposed to toxic substances could provide additional information on possible neurotoxic effects. The aim of this study is to determine the nephrotoxic effect of wastewater discharged from a carbonaceous industry on mice (Mus musculus). The present study examined the nephrotoxic effects of carbonaceous wastewater in mice, the mice were exposed to five different concentrations of the waste water. Cyclophosphomide was used as the positive control and distilled water was used as a negative control, for a period of 35das. Creatinine and urea concentration in serum was used as kidney function. The weights of the animals were recorded weekly after which their kidneys were harvested. Organ weight was measured at post exposure and preserved afterwards for histology. The physical, chemical and heavy metal composition of the wastewater was also analysed. There was no significant (P>0.05) change in the kidney and body weight of the exposed mice or the negative control. The activities of urea and creatinine in the serum of exposed mice were significantly increased compared to the negative control mice and this increase was concentration dependent at P<0.05. The histological lesions observed in the kidney showed generalised occlusion of the tubular lumen, general tubular necrosis, with protein casts in the tubular lumen and multiple foci of haemorrhage in the parenchyma were observed. The results of the study showed that the observed nephrotoxic effect in the exposed mice may be caused by the presence of heavy metal and other physical and chemical substances present in the waste water. This suggests a higher risk to kidney damage in humans and other organisms exposed to this waste water and may also be deleterious to the surrounding environment.