Impact of Unplanned Disposal of Tanneries Effluents on Testes – A Dilemma of Our Society

Abstract

The modern industrialized society faces serious prob-lems of exposure of its population to the environmen-tal pollutants. Rapid industrialization is beneficial to mankind but at the same time it is creating problems due to unplanned and unwise disposal of industrial eff-luents particularly from the tanneries in the environ-ment. The wastes of industries utilizing the chromium as tanneries have substantial amount of chromium in it. This study was designed to analyze the effects of hexavalent chromium on diameter of seminiferous tub-ules of testes of mice at Animal House of Zoology Department, University of the Punjab, Lahore. This experiment was performed on forty – eight mature adult male albino mice, which were divided into eight groups. Control groups were designated as A₁, B₁, C₁ and D₁, whereas experimental groups A, B, C and D, received chromium (2 mg / kg), i.p., as potassium di-chromate on alternate days for two, four, six and eight weeks respectively. Significant histological changes were recorded in the testes of treated mice, after pro-longed exposure of chromium tubular diameter of the seminiferous tubules was reduced. In case of chronic exposure more drastic deleterious effects will appear. Future research work will add further information in this regard.

Key Words:  Potassium dichromate, Testes, Semini-ferous tubules, hexavalent chromium.