Toxicological Assessment of Rubber Industry Effluent on Rat Cellular System

This study assessed the toxicological effect of rubber industry effluent on rat’s cellular system, such as the biochemical responses, physiology and histopathology of selected tissues. Twenty six (26) rats was divided into five (5) groups and was exposed for a period of twenty eight (28) days. Standard enzyme assays were conducted for alanine transaminase (ALT), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and antioxidant such malondialdehyde (MDA) and ascorbic acid (ASB) of selected tissues of rat’s cellular systems such as serum, heart, liver, stomach, kidney and colon exposed to contaminated rubber effluent for the period of 4 weeks. In general, exposure to sub lethal concentrations of rubber effluent showed a significant decrease in the activity of serum of the enzymes of rat’s cellular system when compare to control (p < 0.05). In specific, the activity of alanine transaminase of serum exposed to contaminated rubber effluent was found to be 0.09 ± 0.00 in group B when compared to 0.06 ± 0.00 of Group A (control). The activity of liver in the same group was found to be 0.11 ± 0.00 when compare to 0.05±0.00 of control. The activity of MDA of serum exposed to contaminated rubber effluent was found to be 0.13 ± 0.00 when compare 0.09±0.00 of control. There is a similar increase in groups exposed to contaminated rubber effluent when compare to control. The results shows that lipid peroxidation was high in rats exposed to rubber effluent. It was also noticed, there was a gradual increase in liver and selected tissues of ALT, MDA, CAT, ASB and SOD in all experimental groups. This study predicts that rubber effluents could induce oxidative stress, thereby affecting general physiology. Thus, the serum biochemical response of rats is affected resulting in oxidative stress. These findings can be used as valuable biomarkers for the assessment of toxicity and also monitoring of water quality. The present study further reveals that Rattus novergicus exposed to rubber effluent may have altered protein metabolism, among others, at the subcellular level and this may be indicative of impairment of the function of the tissues