Copper accumulation in liver kidney gill muscle brain and blood tissues of tilapia nilotica and its effect on some blood parameters

ABSTRACT Accumulation of copper in liver, gill, muscle, kidney, blood and brain tissues of Tilapis ni lotica and its effects on the hematocrit and hemoglobin content of blood were studied after exposing the fish to 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 ppm Cu for 1, 7, 15 and 30 days. Copper accumulation increased with increasing concentrations of copper in the medium and with increasing periods of exposure in the tissues studied. Highest levels of accumulation were recorded in liver, while the lowest accumulation levels were found in the brain tissue. The following relationship was found between the tissues in accumulating copper; Liver > Kidney > Gill > Muscle > Brain Accumulation levels in blood were generally low. The rate of accumulation, however, increased with increasing concentrations of copper and with increasing time of exposure. Percentage hematocrit and hemoglobin levels varied depending upon the copper concentration and exposure period. In general, an initial increase followed by a decrease in these parameters were observed by increasing the copper concentration or the exposure period.