Comparative Genotoxic Potential of Effluent and Influent Generated by a Beverage Industrial Plant in Lagos, Nigeria

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of effluent and influent, from a beverage plant in Lagos state, using haematology, sperm assay, and impact of the physicochemical parameters on mice. The effluent and influent were collected in sterile bottles and were separately administered orally to 5 groups of mice at test concentrations of 6.5%, 12.5%, 25%, 50% and 100%. Mice in each group weighing approximately between 30 and 35 g were given 0.3ml/body weight of mice in each test concentration orally, daily for 21 days. Each treatment group and the control group comprised 3 mice. The resulting data showed that both test samples induced a dose-dependent, statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in the number of sperms with abnormal morphology, haematology, as well as diverse histopathological changes in the liver. The samples were also analyzed for physicochemical properties with standard laboratory techniques. The results obtained revealed that both the effluent and influent samples contain constituents (e.g. Cd, Cr and Ni) in quantities and values that are capable of inducing mutation in the biological system. The interaction of some of these constituents with the genetic material in the differentiating cells during gametogenesis may be responsible for many sperm abnormalities observed in this study. Therefore, this study is important in environmental waste management, and for the assessment of the genotoxic effects of chemicals (both solid and dissolved) in wastewater.