AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF INDUCED ALTERATION OF WATER QUALITY AND ITS EFFECT ON INHABITING FISH SPECIES IN SELECTED PONDS IN AND AROUND BARGARH TOWN, ODISHA, INDIA

The present study investigates the effect of agricultural runoff on the water quality of a few ponds which are located near paddy fields and are active human use. We further investigated the effect of altered water quality on the inhabiting fish species by evaluating oxidative stress markers and catalase activity in the muscle and liver tissue. Our study showed acidification of pond water, increased nitrate, phosphate, COD, Total Dissolved solids, Total Suspended Solids content, and heavy metals (Pb and Cd) in all the three ponds under study which were found to be above the recommended level for human use. However, the level of Hg in the contaminated ponds was observed to be below the recommended level for human use. One of the ponds under study, i.e. Nua Bandh, was devoid of higher group of vertebrate species like Pisces and exhibited extremely deteriorated water quality. There was increased free radical generation and consequent lipid peroxidation in liver and muscle tissue of fish inhabiting these ponds. The total protein contents in muscle was found to be decreased while it increased in liver tissue compared to fish species inhabiting the control pond indicating elevated detoxification enzyme system and associated proteins in the liver tissue. There was elevated catalase activity in both liver and muscle tissue in the fish species inhabiting contaminated ponds. The present study concludes that the water quality of all the three ponds have been deteriorated due to contamination of agricultural runoff/leachate and are not suitable for direct human use.