Abstract            Volume:13  Issue-10  Year-2025         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

This study investigated the toxic effects of phenol exposure on African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from Obinze fish pond Owerri, Imo State Nigeria through experimental exposure. Results indicated that phenol is toxic to the fish, causing behavioral changes, clinical signs, and histopathological alterations. The experiment focuses on toxicity, tissue alteration and residue assessment. Exposure to phenol, even at sublethal concentrations, resulted in behavioral changes, skin lesions, and pathological damage to gills, brain, liver, and kidneys. The study also assessed phenol residue levels in muscle tissue, finding them to be dose dependent. Behavioral changes include phenol induced erratic swimming, upward body bending, and other signs of stress. Histopathological changes reveal that the skin, gills, brain, liver, and kidneys showed various degrees of degenerative changes and necrosis upon exposure to phenol. Phenol residues were detected in muscle tissue, with higher concentrations observed in fish exposed to higher phenol concentrations. The severity of the observed effects (behavioral, pathological, and residue levels) was directly related to the content (Clarias gariepinus). Ninety-six-hour acute toxicity tests revealed that the median lethal concentration of phenol (LC50) to be 35mg/L A static renewal bioassay was employed, with fish exposed to different concentrations of phenol (0%, 20%, 50%, 70%, of the LC50) over a three week period. Muscle tissue analysis revealed phenol residues at mean concentrations of 4.3 ± 0.05 ppm and 6.65 ± 0.05 ppm in groups exposed to 20% and 50% of LC50 respectively. The study observed various behavioral abnormalities, including cessation of feeding, nervous system disruptions, and skin lesions, particularly at higher phenol concentrations. Futhermore, post-mortem examinations revealed adhesion of internal organs and significant tissue damage, including degeneration and necrosis in the skin, gills, brain, liver, and kidney. The findings highlighted the detrimental impact of phenol exposure on African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Emphasizing the need for measures to prevent phenol contamination in aquatic environments

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