Research Article
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Year 2026, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 27 - 38, 15.01.2026
https://doi.org/10.3153/AR26004

Abstract

References

  • Abdel-Kader, H.H., & Mourad, M.H. (2020). Trace elements exposure influences proximate body composition and antioxidant enzyme activities of the species tilapia and catfish in Burullus Lake, Egypt: human risk assessment for the consumers. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(35), 43670–43681. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10207-2 Abdul Maulud, K.N., Fitri, A., Wan Mohtar, W.H.M., Wan Mohd Jaafar, W.S., Zuhairi, N.Z., & Kamarudin, M.K.A. (2021). A study of spatial and water quality index during dry and rainy seasons at Kelantan River Basin, Peninsular Malaysia. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 14(2), 85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10207-2
  • Adewoyin, M.A., & Okoh, A.I. (2020). Seasonal shift in physicochemical factors revealed the ecological variables that modulate the density of Acinetobacter species in freshwater resources. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3606. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103606
  • Adjovu, G.E., Stephen, H., James, D., & Ahmad, S. (2023). Measurement of total dissolved solids and total suspended solids in water systems: A review of the issues, conventional, and remote sensing techniques. Remote Sensing, 15(14), 3534. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15143534
  • Ahmed, I., Reshi, Q.M., & Fazio, F. (2020). The influence of the endogenous and exogenous factors on hematological parameters in different fish species: a review. Aquaculture International, 28(3), 869–899. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-019-00501-3
  • Ajon, A., Gundu, E.G., & Akase, E. (2021). Irrigation water analysis at River Ahungwa Dam in Yandev, Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. International Journal of Innovative Agriculture & Biology Research, 9(2), 47–53.
  • Amaeze, N.H., Komolafe, B.O., Salako, A.F., Akagha, K.K., Briggs, T.-M., Olatinwo, O.O., & Femi, M.A. (2020). Comparative assessment of the acute toxicity, haematological and genotoxic effects of ten commonly used pesticides on the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus Burchell 1822. Heliyon, 6(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04768
  • American Public Health, A., American Water Works, A., & Water Pollution Control, F. (1955). Standard methods for the examination of water, sewage, and industrial wastes. American Public Health Association. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8371131
  • Bojarski, B., Witeska, M., & Kondera, E. (2025). Blood Biochemical Biomarkers in Fish Toxicology—A Review. Animals, 15(7), 965. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15070965
  • Chabi Kpera, M.O.N., Lingofo, R.B., & Abou, Y. (2025). Spatio-temporal variation of water physicochemical parameters in Lake Toho (Southern Benin). Proceedings of IAHS, 388, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-388-1-2025
  • Chapman, P.J., Kay, P., Mitchell, G., & Pitts, C.S. (2019). Surface water quality. In Water resources (pp. 99–150). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429448270-4 Chen, H., & Luo, D. (2023). Application of haematology parameters for health management in fish farms. Reviews in Aquaculture, 15(2), 704–737. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12753
  • Chen, J., Wang, Y., Li, F., & Liu, Z. (2019). Aquatic ecosystem health assessment of a typical sub-basin of the Liao River based on entropy weights and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 14045. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-50499-0 Chen, Q., Li, Q., Lin, Y., Zhang, J., Xia, J., Ni, J., Cooke, S. J., Best, J., He, S., & Feng, T. (2023). River damming impacts on fish habitat and associated conservation measures. Reviews of Geophysics, 61(4). https://doi.org/10.1029/2023RG000819
  • Cooke, S.J., Bergman, J.N., Twardek, W.M., Piczak, M.L., Casselberry, G.A., Lutek, K., Dahlmo, L.S., Birnie‐Gauvin, K., Griffin, L.P., & Brownscombe, J.W. (2022). The movement ecology of fishes. Journal of Fish Biology, 101(4), 756–779. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15153 Coşkun, O.F., Aydın, D., & Duman, F. (2016). Comparison of some blood parameters of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) living in running and still water. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 15(1), 497–507.
  • Dragun, Z., Filipović Marijić, V., Krasnići, N., Ramani, S., Valić, D., Rebok, K., Kostov, V., Jordanova, M., & Erk, M. (2017). Malondialdehyde concentrations in the intestine and gills of Vardar chub (Squalius vardarensis Karaman) as indicator of lipid peroxidation. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 24(20), 16917–16926. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9305-x
  • Ferahtia, A., Halilat, M. T., Mimeche, F., & Bensaci, E. (2021). Surface water quality assessment in semi-arid region (El Hodna watershed, Algeria) based on water quality index (WQI). Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Chemia, 66(1), 127–142. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbchem.2021.01.10
  • Hinch, S.G., Bett, N.N., & Farrell, A.P. (2022). A conservation physiological perspective on dam passage by fishes. Fish Physiology 39, 429–487. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.fp.2022.04.015
  • Ibanga, L.B., Nkwoji, J.A., Usese, A.I., Onyema, I.C., & Chukwu, L.O. (2019). Hydrochemistry and heavy metals concentrations in sediment of Woji Creek and Bonny Estuary, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 25, 100436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2018.10.004
  • Ighalo, J.O., & Adeniyi, A.G. (2020). A comprehensive review of water quality monitoring and assessment in Nigeria. Chemosphere, 260, 127569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127569
  • Javed, M., Ahmad, I., Ahmad, A., Usmani, N., & Ahmad, M. (2016). Studies on the alterations in haematological indices, micronuclei induction and pathological marker enzyme activities in Channa punctatus (spotted snakehead) perciformes, channidae exposed to thermal power plant effluent. SpringerPlus, 5(1), 761. https://doi.10.1186/s40064-016-2478-9
  • Khare, A., Chhawani, N., & Kumari, K. (2019). Glutathione reductase and catalase as potential biomarkers for synergistic intoxication of pesticides in fish. Biomarkers, 24(7), 666–676. https://doi.org/10.1080/1354750X.2019.1651902 Kumar, N., Krishnani, K.K., Gupta, S.K., & Singh, N.P. (2017). Cellular stress and histopathological tools used as biomarkers in Oreochromis mossambicus for assessing metal contamination. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 49, 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2016.11.017 Lala, V., Zubair, M., & Minter, D. (2023). Liver function tests. StatPearls. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/nbk482489 Mansou, A.T., Ashour, M., Ruiz, C.E., Kumar, N., & Esteban, M.A. (2023). Physiological performance of aquatic animals under farming-induced stress conditions. Frontiers in Physiology, 14, 1136611. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1136611
  • Menon, S.V., Kumar, A., Middha, S.K., Paital, B., Mathur, S., Johnson, R., Kademan, A., Usha, T., Hemavathi, K.N., & Dayal, S. (2023). Water physicochemical factors and oxidative stress physiology in fish, a review. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11, 1240813. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1240813
  • Mostafazadeh, R., & Nasiri Khiavi, A. (2024). Changes in the characteristics of water quality parameters under the influence of dam construction. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04960-4
  • Muliari, M., Zulfahmi, I., Akmal, Y., Karja, N.W.K., Nisa, C., Sumon, K.A., & Rahman, M.M. (2020). Toxicity of palm oil mill effluent on the early life stages of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Linnaeus 1758). Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(24), 30592–30599. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09410-y
  • Nafagha-Lawal, M.O., Ojimelukwe, A.E., Lelei, E.K., Uche, A.O., Kika, P.E., Igbiri, S., Babatunde, B.B., & Sikoki, F.D. (2022). Nutrients dynamics in water and sediment of the Bonny Estuary, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 194(7), 510. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10148-y
  • National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) (2011). National Environmental (Surface and Groundwater Quality Control) Regulations, S.I. No. 22 of 2011. Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 49 of 24 May 2011.
  • Naz, S., Hussain, R., Guangbin, Z., Chatha, A.M.M., Rehman, Z.U., Jahan, S., Liaquat, M., & Khan, A. (2023). Copper sulfate induces clinico-hematological, oxidative stress, serum biochemical and histopathological changes in freshwater fish rohu (Labeo rohita). Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, 1142042. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1142042
  • National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) (2011). National Environmental (Surface and Groundwater Quality Control) Regulations, S.I. No. 22 of 2011. Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 49 of 24 May 2011. Retrieved from https://nesrea.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Surface_and_Groundwater_Quality_Control_Regulation-2011.pdf
  • Nwonumara, G.N., Elebe, F.A., & Nwibo, O.D. (2022). The physico-chemical variables and phytoplankton of Ufiobodo and Ebonyi Reservoirs, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Zoologist, 21(1), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.4314/tzool.v21i1.7 Pandey, S., Parvez, S., Sayeed, I., Haque, R., Bin-Hafeez, B., & Raisuddin, S. (2003). Biomarkers of oxidative stress: A comparative study of river Yamuna fish Wallago attu (Bl. & Schn.). Science of the Total Environment, 309(1-3), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(03)00006-8
  • Sattler, S. (2017). The role of the immune system beyond the fight against infection. The Immunology of Cardiovascular Homeostasis and Pathology, 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57613-8_1 Seibel, H., Baßmann, B., & Rebl, A. (2021). Blood will tell: What hematological analyses can reveal about fish welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 616955. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.616955 Shahjahan, M., Islam, M.J., Hossain, M.T., Mishu, M.A., Hasan, J., & Brown, C. (2022). Blood biomarkers as diagnostic tools: An overview of climate-driven stress responses in fish. Science of the Total Environment, 843, 156910. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156910
  • Tahir, R., Ghaffar, A., Abbas, G., Turabi, T.H., Kausar, S., Xiaoxia, D., Naz, S., Jamil, H., Samra, R.S., & Abdelgayed, S.S. (2021). Pesticide induced hematological, biochemical and genotoxic changes in fish: A review. Agrobiological Records, 3, 41–57. https://doi.org/10.47278/journal.abr/2021.005 Tessema, A., Mohammed, A., Birhanu, T., & Negu, T. (2014). Assessment of physico-chemical water quality of Bira dam, Bati Wereda, Amhara region, Ethiopia. https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-9546.1000267
  • Ujoh, F., & Alhassan, M.M. (2014). Assessment of pollutants in streams around a cement plant in Central Nigeria. International Journal of Science and Technology, 4(3), 59–65. https://doi.org/10.9734/IJPSS/2014/7462
  • Woldeab, B., Beyene, A., Ambelu, A., Buffam, I., & Mereta, S.T. (2018). Seasonal and spatial variation of reservoir water quality in the southwest of Ethiopia. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 190(3), 163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6527-4
  • Youdeowei, P.O., Nwankwoala, H.O., & Desai, D.D. (2019). Dam structures and types in Nigeria: Sustainability and effectiveness. Water Conservation and Management, 3(1), 20–26. https://doi.org/10.26480/wcm.01.2019.20.26
  • Zhu, W., & Su, J. (2022). Immune functions of phagocytic blood cells in teleost. Reviews in Aquaculture, 14(2), 630–646. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12616

Water quality and physiological stress biomarkers in selected fish species from Benue Cement Dam, Gboko, Nigeria

Year 2026, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 27 - 38, 15.01.2026
https://doi.org/10.3153/AR26004

Abstract

This study assessed surface water quality using NESREA (2011) standards and fish functional responses in Benue Cement Dam, Gboko, Nigeria. Water temperature (26.08–29.08 °C) and pH (6.17–7.62) were within permissible limits, whereas total hardness, alkalinity, chloride, and ammonia nitrogen were above guideline values. Haematological parameters showed significant alterations, including high haemoglobin concentrations and notably increased white blood cell counts across fish species and seasons, indicating physiological stress. Substantial increases in enzyme activities (ALP, AST) and oxidative stress biomarkers (SOD, CAT, GR, MDA, GPx; p < 0.05–0.001) further confirmed oxidative imbalance and effect on fish health. The findings suggest that damming and various industrial activities in the area have reduced water quality and induced stress in inhabiting fish populations. Haematological and oxidative biomarkers as practical tools for aquatic ecosystem monitoring have indicated the need for stricter pollution control and sustained biomonitoring efforts.

Ethical Statement

This study did not involve experimental procedures on live animals. Fish samples were obtained from routine artisanal catches, and ethical approval was therefore not required.

References

  • Abdel-Kader, H.H., & Mourad, M.H. (2020). Trace elements exposure influences proximate body composition and antioxidant enzyme activities of the species tilapia and catfish in Burullus Lake, Egypt: human risk assessment for the consumers. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(35), 43670–43681. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10207-2 Abdul Maulud, K.N., Fitri, A., Wan Mohtar, W.H.M., Wan Mohd Jaafar, W.S., Zuhairi, N.Z., & Kamarudin, M.K.A. (2021). A study of spatial and water quality index during dry and rainy seasons at Kelantan River Basin, Peninsular Malaysia. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 14(2), 85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10207-2
  • Adewoyin, M.A., & Okoh, A.I. (2020). Seasonal shift in physicochemical factors revealed the ecological variables that modulate the density of Acinetobacter species in freshwater resources. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3606. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103606
  • Adjovu, G.E., Stephen, H., James, D., & Ahmad, S. (2023). Measurement of total dissolved solids and total suspended solids in water systems: A review of the issues, conventional, and remote sensing techniques. Remote Sensing, 15(14), 3534. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15143534
  • Ahmed, I., Reshi, Q.M., & Fazio, F. (2020). The influence of the endogenous and exogenous factors on hematological parameters in different fish species: a review. Aquaculture International, 28(3), 869–899. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-019-00501-3
  • Ajon, A., Gundu, E.G., & Akase, E. (2021). Irrigation water analysis at River Ahungwa Dam in Yandev, Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. International Journal of Innovative Agriculture & Biology Research, 9(2), 47–53.
  • Amaeze, N.H., Komolafe, B.O., Salako, A.F., Akagha, K.K., Briggs, T.-M., Olatinwo, O.O., & Femi, M.A. (2020). Comparative assessment of the acute toxicity, haematological and genotoxic effects of ten commonly used pesticides on the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus Burchell 1822. Heliyon, 6(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04768
  • American Public Health, A., American Water Works, A., & Water Pollution Control, F. (1955). Standard methods for the examination of water, sewage, and industrial wastes. American Public Health Association. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8371131
  • Bojarski, B., Witeska, M., & Kondera, E. (2025). Blood Biochemical Biomarkers in Fish Toxicology—A Review. Animals, 15(7), 965. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15070965
  • Chabi Kpera, M.O.N., Lingofo, R.B., & Abou, Y. (2025). Spatio-temporal variation of water physicochemical parameters in Lake Toho (Southern Benin). Proceedings of IAHS, 388, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-388-1-2025
  • Chapman, P.J., Kay, P., Mitchell, G., & Pitts, C.S. (2019). Surface water quality. In Water resources (pp. 99–150). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429448270-4 Chen, H., & Luo, D. (2023). Application of haematology parameters for health management in fish farms. Reviews in Aquaculture, 15(2), 704–737. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12753
  • Chen, J., Wang, Y., Li, F., & Liu, Z. (2019). Aquatic ecosystem health assessment of a typical sub-basin of the Liao River based on entropy weights and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 14045. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-50499-0 Chen, Q., Li, Q., Lin, Y., Zhang, J., Xia, J., Ni, J., Cooke, S. J., Best, J., He, S., & Feng, T. (2023). River damming impacts on fish habitat and associated conservation measures. Reviews of Geophysics, 61(4). https://doi.org/10.1029/2023RG000819
  • Cooke, S.J., Bergman, J.N., Twardek, W.M., Piczak, M.L., Casselberry, G.A., Lutek, K., Dahlmo, L.S., Birnie‐Gauvin, K., Griffin, L.P., & Brownscombe, J.W. (2022). The movement ecology of fishes. Journal of Fish Biology, 101(4), 756–779. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15153 Coşkun, O.F., Aydın, D., & Duman, F. (2016). Comparison of some blood parameters of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) living in running and still water. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 15(1), 497–507.
  • Dragun, Z., Filipović Marijić, V., Krasnići, N., Ramani, S., Valić, D., Rebok, K., Kostov, V., Jordanova, M., & Erk, M. (2017). Malondialdehyde concentrations in the intestine and gills of Vardar chub (Squalius vardarensis Karaman) as indicator of lipid peroxidation. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 24(20), 16917–16926. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9305-x
  • Ferahtia, A., Halilat, M. T., Mimeche, F., & Bensaci, E. (2021). Surface water quality assessment in semi-arid region (El Hodna watershed, Algeria) based on water quality index (WQI). Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Chemia, 66(1), 127–142. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbchem.2021.01.10
  • Hinch, S.G., Bett, N.N., & Farrell, A.P. (2022). A conservation physiological perspective on dam passage by fishes. Fish Physiology 39, 429–487. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.fp.2022.04.015
  • Ibanga, L.B., Nkwoji, J.A., Usese, A.I., Onyema, I.C., & Chukwu, L.O. (2019). Hydrochemistry and heavy metals concentrations in sediment of Woji Creek and Bonny Estuary, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 25, 100436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2018.10.004
  • Ighalo, J.O., & Adeniyi, A.G. (2020). A comprehensive review of water quality monitoring and assessment in Nigeria. Chemosphere, 260, 127569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127569
  • Javed, M., Ahmad, I., Ahmad, A., Usmani, N., & Ahmad, M. (2016). Studies on the alterations in haematological indices, micronuclei induction and pathological marker enzyme activities in Channa punctatus (spotted snakehead) perciformes, channidae exposed to thermal power plant effluent. SpringerPlus, 5(1), 761. https://doi.10.1186/s40064-016-2478-9
  • Khare, A., Chhawani, N., & Kumari, K. (2019). Glutathione reductase and catalase as potential biomarkers for synergistic intoxication of pesticides in fish. Biomarkers, 24(7), 666–676. https://doi.org/10.1080/1354750X.2019.1651902 Kumar, N., Krishnani, K.K., Gupta, S.K., & Singh, N.P. (2017). Cellular stress and histopathological tools used as biomarkers in Oreochromis mossambicus for assessing metal contamination. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 49, 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2016.11.017 Lala, V., Zubair, M., & Minter, D. (2023). Liver function tests. StatPearls. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/nbk482489 Mansou, A.T., Ashour, M., Ruiz, C.E., Kumar, N., & Esteban, M.A. (2023). Physiological performance of aquatic animals under farming-induced stress conditions. Frontiers in Physiology, 14, 1136611. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1136611
  • Menon, S.V., Kumar, A., Middha, S.K., Paital, B., Mathur, S., Johnson, R., Kademan, A., Usha, T., Hemavathi, K.N., & Dayal, S. (2023). Water physicochemical factors and oxidative stress physiology in fish, a review. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11, 1240813. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1240813
  • Mostafazadeh, R., & Nasiri Khiavi, A. (2024). Changes in the characteristics of water quality parameters under the influence of dam construction. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04960-4
  • Muliari, M., Zulfahmi, I., Akmal, Y., Karja, N.W.K., Nisa, C., Sumon, K.A., & Rahman, M.M. (2020). Toxicity of palm oil mill effluent on the early life stages of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Linnaeus 1758). Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(24), 30592–30599. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09410-y
  • Nafagha-Lawal, M.O., Ojimelukwe, A.E., Lelei, E.K., Uche, A.O., Kika, P.E., Igbiri, S., Babatunde, B.B., & Sikoki, F.D. (2022). Nutrients dynamics in water and sediment of the Bonny Estuary, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 194(7), 510. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10148-y
  • National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) (2011). National Environmental (Surface and Groundwater Quality Control) Regulations, S.I. No. 22 of 2011. Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 49 of 24 May 2011.
  • Naz, S., Hussain, R., Guangbin, Z., Chatha, A.M.M., Rehman, Z.U., Jahan, S., Liaquat, M., & Khan, A. (2023). Copper sulfate induces clinico-hematological, oxidative stress, serum biochemical and histopathological changes in freshwater fish rohu (Labeo rohita). Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, 1142042. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1142042
  • National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) (2011). National Environmental (Surface and Groundwater Quality Control) Regulations, S.I. No. 22 of 2011. Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 49 of 24 May 2011. Retrieved from https://nesrea.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Surface_and_Groundwater_Quality_Control_Regulation-2011.pdf
  • Nwonumara, G.N., Elebe, F.A., & Nwibo, O.D. (2022). The physico-chemical variables and phytoplankton of Ufiobodo and Ebonyi Reservoirs, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Zoologist, 21(1), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.4314/tzool.v21i1.7 Pandey, S., Parvez, S., Sayeed, I., Haque, R., Bin-Hafeez, B., & Raisuddin, S. (2003). Biomarkers of oxidative stress: A comparative study of river Yamuna fish Wallago attu (Bl. & Schn.). Science of the Total Environment, 309(1-3), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(03)00006-8
  • Sattler, S. (2017). The role of the immune system beyond the fight against infection. The Immunology of Cardiovascular Homeostasis and Pathology, 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57613-8_1 Seibel, H., Baßmann, B., & Rebl, A. (2021). Blood will tell: What hematological analyses can reveal about fish welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 616955. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.616955 Shahjahan, M., Islam, M.J., Hossain, M.T., Mishu, M.A., Hasan, J., & Brown, C. (2022). Blood biomarkers as diagnostic tools: An overview of climate-driven stress responses in fish. Science of the Total Environment, 843, 156910. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156910
  • Tahir, R., Ghaffar, A., Abbas, G., Turabi, T.H., Kausar, S., Xiaoxia, D., Naz, S., Jamil, H., Samra, R.S., & Abdelgayed, S.S. (2021). Pesticide induced hematological, biochemical and genotoxic changes in fish: A review. Agrobiological Records, 3, 41–57. https://doi.org/10.47278/journal.abr/2021.005 Tessema, A., Mohammed, A., Birhanu, T., & Negu, T. (2014). Assessment of physico-chemical water quality of Bira dam, Bati Wereda, Amhara region, Ethiopia. https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-9546.1000267
  • Ujoh, F., & Alhassan, M.M. (2014). Assessment of pollutants in streams around a cement plant in Central Nigeria. International Journal of Science and Technology, 4(3), 59–65. https://doi.org/10.9734/IJPSS/2014/7462
  • Woldeab, B., Beyene, A., Ambelu, A., Buffam, I., & Mereta, S.T. (2018). Seasonal and spatial variation of reservoir water quality in the southwest of Ethiopia. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 190(3), 163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6527-4
  • Youdeowei, P.O., Nwankwoala, H.O., & Desai, D.D. (2019). Dam structures and types in Nigeria: Sustainability and effectiveness. Water Conservation and Management, 3(1), 20–26. https://doi.org/10.26480/wcm.01.2019.20.26
  • Zhu, W., & Su, J. (2022). Immune functions of phagocytic blood cells in teleost. Reviews in Aquaculture, 14(2), 630–646. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12616
There are 33 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Aquaculture and Fisheries (Other)
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Athanasius Aende 0009-0007-2540-6401

Orfega Benjamin Kwaghvihi 0000-0002-9844-4456

Edward Terhemen Akange 0009-0008-9347-8121

Submission Date September 11, 2025
Acceptance Date January 5, 2026
Early Pub Date January 15, 2026
Publication Date January 15, 2026
Published in Issue Year 2026 Volume: 9 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Aende, A., Kwaghvihi, O. B., & Akange, E. T. (2026). Water quality and physiological stress biomarkers in selected fish species from Benue Cement Dam, Gboko, Nigeria. Aquatic Research, 9(1), 27-38. https://doi.org/10.3153/AR26004

Aim & Scope

   The journal “AQUATIC RESEARCH” is an international, scientific, open access journal published in accordance with the principles of independent, impartial and double-blind refereeing. The journal is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October to contribute to the literature by publishing articles at the highest scientific level in all fields of aquatic sciences. The publication language of the journal is English or Turkish, and it has been published since 2018.

     The journal publishes original research and review articles prepared in accordance with ethical rules.

The publication of the "AQUATIC RESEARCH" journal are not limited to these; Aquatic Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Aquatic Environment and Pollutants, Aquaculture, Conservation and Management of Aquatic Source, Economics and Managements of Fisheries, Fish Diseases and Health, Fisheries Resources and Management, Genetics of Aquatic Organisms, Limnology, Maritime Sciences, Marine Accidents, Marine Navigation and Safety, Marine and Coastal Ecology, Oceanography, Seafood Processing and Quality Control, Seafood Safety Systems, Sustainability in Marine and Freshwater Systems etc. covers topics. The target audience of the journal consists of experts and professionals working and interested in all disciplines of aquatic sciences.

Processing and publication are free of charge with the journal. There is no article processing charges or submission fees for any submitted or accepted articles. Statements or opinions expressed in articles published in the journal reflect the views of the author(s), not the views of the editors, editorial board and/or publisher; The editors, editorial board, and publisher do not accept any responsibility or liability for such materials.

To guarantee that all papers published in the journal are maintained and permanently accessible, articles are stored in Dergipark (https://dergipark.org.tr) which serves as a national archival web site and at the same time permits LOCKSS to collect, preserve, and serve the content. All expenses of the journal are covered by the ScientificWebJournals web portal.

In addition, authors are encouraged to self-archive the final PDF version of their articles in open electronic archives that comply with Open Archive Initiative (https://www.openarchives.org/) standards. Authors should provide a link from the stored version to the journal website URL.

Editor in Chief: Prof. Dr. Özkan Özden

Address: Istanbul University Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Kalenderhane Mah. 16 Mart Şehitleri Cad. No:2 34134 Vezneciler Fatih/Istanbul, Türkiye

E-mail: ozden@istanbul.edu.tr 


Header photos (web and others) from Ferhan Coşkun, Türkiye

E.mail: fcoskun@gmail.com

Instagram: instagram.com/exultsoul

Article evaluation and submission rules for reviewers and authors are given in the link below.


https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/journal-file/26282 

The journal “AQUATIC RESEARCH” adheres to the highest standards of publishing ethics guided by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), Council of Science Editors (CSE), Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), European Association of Science Editors (EASE)Open Access Scholarly and Publishers Association (OASPA), and  Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

Authors must comply with the IUCN Policy Statement on Research Involv-ing Species at Risk of Extinction and the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora for research involving plants.

Manuscripts submitted should align with the journal's purpose and scope and must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. Changes to authorship (name, order, additions) require written consent from all declared authors.

The following actions constitute unethical behavior and result in rejection or retraction: plagiarism, duplication, false authorship, data fabrication, slicing, copyright infringement, and undisclosed conflicts of interest. 

Journal Responsibilities
The "AQUATIC RESEARCH" journal is committed to preventing publication malpractice. Submitted works must represent original contributions free from plagiarism. Authors must disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest. The journal ensures objective and fair double-blind peer-review to prevent conflicts between editorial staff, reviewers, and authors
The journal provides an open platform for public discussion requiring registration for accountability. Reviewer identities remain confidential unless explicitly disclosed to the editors.
Publication Decisions
The editor of the "AQUATIC RESEARCH" journals is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The editor may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.
The journal submission and publication process involves manuscript submission, ethical checks, double-blind peer review, editorial decision-making (including potential conflict resolution), typesetting, author review, DOI assignment, online publication, and archiving, as detailed in the workflow diagram below.
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Fair Play
An editor at any time evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
Confidentiality
The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.
Research Ethics
An approval of research protocols by the Ethics Committee in accordance with international agreements (World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki “Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects,” amended in October 2013, www.wma.net) is required for experimental, clinical, and drug studies. If required, ethics committee reports or an equivalent official document will be requested from the authors.
For manuscripts concerning experimental research on humans, a statement should be included that shows the written informed consent of patients and volunteers was obtained following a detailed explanation of the procedures that they may undergo. Information on patient consent, the name of the ethics committee, and the ethics committee approval number should also be stated in the Materials and Methods section of the manuscript. It is the authors’ responsibility to carefully protect the patients’ anonymity. For photographs that may reveal the identity of the patients, signed releases of the patient or of their legal representative should be enclosed.
AQUATIC RESEARCH” journal requires experimental research studies on vertebrates or any regulated invertebrates to comply with relevant institutional, national and/or international guidelines. The journal supports the principles of the Basel Declaration (https://animalresearchtomorrow.org/en) and the guidelines published by the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS) (https://iclas.org/). Authors are advised to clearly state their compliance with relevant guidelines.
This journal advises authors to comply with IUCN Policy Statement on Research Involving Species at Risk of Extinction and the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora for research involving plants.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
Our journal adheres to international standards of publication ethics and requires complete transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, etc.) during manuscript preparation.
Disclosure Requirement: Authors must disclose the use of any AI tool in the manuscript, specifying the name of the tool, the stage(s) at which it was used, and its purpose. This text should be included in the "Disclosure". Authors must affirm that all scientific content is their own and that they retain full responsibility for any material generated with the assistance of AI tools.
Content Limitation: The use of AI tools must remain supplementary. If the proportion of AI-generated text content exceeds 20% of the total manuscript, the submission will be considered ineligible for review and rejected on ethical grounds.
Responsibility: AI tools cannot be listed as authors. All named authors are solely accountable for the content of the submission, including any material produced with AI assistance. Failure to disclose the use of AI tools or excessive reliance on them will be considered a breach of publication ethics.
Plagiarism
Submitted manuscripts that pass preflight are scanned for plagiarism using iThenticate software. Authors will be notified if plagiarism/self-plagiarism is detected. Editors can resubmit the article for any peer-review or similarity check during production, if necessary. High similarity scores can cause an article to be rejected before or even after it is accepted. Depending on the type of article and the percentage of similarity scores from each article, the overall similarity score is generally expected to be less than 20%.
Double-Blind Referee Evaluation
After the plagiarism check, the appropriate ones are evaluated by the editors in terms of originality, methodology, importance of the subject and suitability to the scope of the journal. The editor directs the submitted articles to a fair double-blind peer-review (submits the articles that comply with official rules to at least two national/international referees for evaluation) and gives approval by managing the processes for publication after they are modified by the authors in accordance with the referees' rules.
Open Access Statement
The journal is an open access journal and all its content is freely available to the user or institution. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, print, search or link the full texts of articles in this journal without prior permission from the publisher or author. This conforms to Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) 's definition of open access.
Open access articles in the journal are licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Article Processing Fee
All journal processes are free of charge. No article processing fee, submission fee or publication fee is charged for submitted or accepted articles.
Copyright Notice
Authors publishing with the journal retain copyright to their work licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), and Publisher retains the exclusive right to publish the work. The CC BY 4.0 license permits unlimited distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
The copyright of any open access article in the "AQUATIC RESEARCH" journal published on the "ScientificWebJournals" web portal hosted by "DergiPark" belongs to the author(s).
Correction, Withdrawal, Expression of Concern
If minor errors are detected that do not affect the results, comments and conclusions of the published article, the editor accepts the correction. If major errors and/or abuses are detected by the editor, which invalidates the results and conclusions, their withdrawal is considered.
If there is evidence of research or publication abuse by the authors, there is evidence that the findings are unreliable and that the authors' institutions did not investigate the incident, or the potential investigation seems unfair or inconclusive. The editor should consider issuing a statement of concern.
COPE and ICJME guidelines are considered regarding correction, withdrawal or expression of concern.
Archiving Policy
To preserve and permanently access all articles published in the journal "Aquatic Research", the papers are nationally archived under the name Dergipark (https://dergipark.org) by TÜBİTAK Turkish Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBİM) affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Türkiye. It is stored with a system established for journal publishing activities that allow LOCKSS to collect, preserve and present the content.
Additionally, authors are encouraged to self-archive the final PDF version of their articles in open electronic archives with that conform to standards of Open Archives Initiative (https://www.openarchives.org/). Authors should provide a link from the deposited version to the URL of journal website.

Processing and publication are free of charge with the journal. There is no article processing charges or submission fees for any submitted or accepted articles.

Open Access Statement:

This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Sorumlu Editör

Food Properties, Food Engineering, Food Sciences, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Post-Harvest Fisheries Technologies (Incl. Transportation), Fisheries Technologies

Sorumlu Editör Yardımcısı

Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health, Food Sciences, Food Packaging, Preservation and Processing, Food Biotechnology, Food Safety, Traceability, Certification and Authenticity, Food Chemistry and Food Sensory Science, Food Microbiology, Food Technology, Post-Harvest Fisheries Technologies (Incl. Transportation), Veterinary Food Hygiene and Technology

Language Editors

Fish Breeding, Pisciculture, Shellfish Culture, Fisheries Technologies, Aquaculture

Ethics Editor

Aquatic Toxicology , Food Consumption, Fermentation Technology, Food Packaging, Preservation and Processing, Food Safety, Traceability, Certification and Authenticity, Food Microbiology, Food Technology, Drying Technologies, Fisheries Technologies

Editörler Kurulu

Agricultural Extension and Communication
Ecology, Oceanography
Ecological Applications, Water Quality and Water Pollution, Surface Water Quality Processes and Contaminated Sediment Assessment, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Pisciculture, Farm Enterprises, Agribusiness
Plant Biotechnology in Agriculture
Microbiology, Environmental Biotechnology, Environmental Biotechnology Diagnostics (Incl. Biosensors), Water Quality and Water Pollution, Environmental Engineering, Renewable Energy Resources
Entomology, Invertebrate Biology
Pisciculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries (Other)
Fish Biology, Fish Physiology and Genetics, Fish Breeding, Pisciculture, Aquaculture
Analytical Biochemistry, Environmental Assessment and Monitoring, Food Safety, Traceability, Certification and Authenticity, Aquaculture
Hydrobiology, Water Quality and Water Pollution, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Pisciculture
Food Packaging, Preservation and Processing, Food Biotechnology, Food Safety, Traceability, Certification and Authenticity, Food Chemistry and Food Sensory Science, Food Microbiology, Post-Harvest Fisheries Technologies (Incl. Transportation), Fisheries Technologies

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is licensed under a CreativeCommons Attribtion-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence 14628   1325927040

Diamond Open Access refers to a scholarly publication model in which journals and platforms do not charge fees to either authors or readers.

Open Access Statement:

This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Archiving Policy:

Archiving is done according to TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM "DergiPark" publication policy (LOCKSS).