PROF. D.I. OLORUNFEMI

The discharge of industrial wastewater into aquatic ecosystems poses significant environmental challenges, including the contamination of water bodies with various pollutants and chemicals. This study investigates the effect of non-alcoholic wastewater effluent from a carbonated beverage manufacturing plant on the growth hormone (GH) gene expression of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). The fish were exposed to concentration levels of 0.5%, 1.5%, 3.5% and 5.0% of the carbonated non-alcoholic wastewater effluent for 96 hours, and the liver was extracted for RNA isolation, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and gel electrophoresis analysis. The results obtained revealed a dose-dependent effect of the non-alcoholic wastewater effluent on the expression of the GH gene in African catfish. The rise in gene expression in response to soft drink effluent exposure was statistically significant (p < 0.05) according to the statistically significant correlation between the gene’s expression levels at different
concentrations and the comparable control. The gene’s increased expression indicates that the soft drink industry’s effluent is having a detrimental effect on Clarias gariepinus. Therefore, Implementing more effective wastewater treatment processes in industries, conducting thorough Environmental Impact Assessments and increasing public awareness can help reduce the potential harmful effects of wastewater effluent on aquatic organisms.