Impact of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) powder ingestion on growth rate and length of Oreochromis niloticus - A Preliminary Study

¹ National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection, 294 Splaiul Independenţei Str., 060031 Bucharest, Romania
² PhD Habil. associate within the Faculty of Biotechnical Systems Engineering, The National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest – Splaiul Independenţei 313, District 6, Buchares, Romania, 060042
³ PhD student within the Faculty of Biotechnical Systems Engineering, The National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest – Splaiul Independenţei 313, District 6, Buchares, Romania, 060042
⁴ Department of Animal Production Techniques, Almussib Technical Instated, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Najaf Str., Najaf 54003, Iraq.

^* Corresponding author: holban.elena@yahoo.com

Abstract

Aquatic ecosystems face increasing contamination from plastic pollutants, with Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) being one of the most prevalent. This study investigates the impact of ingested PVC powder particles on the body weight and length of O. niloticus (Nile tilapia), a commercially important fish species and a common inhabitant of freshwater systems worldwide. Groups of Nile tilapia specimens were subjected to different amounts of PVC powder particles, specifically 500 ppm and 1000 ppm. Specimens and water parameters were meticulously observed for 40 days. The control groups were provided with a diet that did not contain any PVC. After exposure, body weight and length were measured every two weeks and compared between the experimental and control groups. Preliminary results suggest a significant correlation between PVC ingestion and alterations in the growth parameters of Nile tilapia. Fish exposed to higher concentrations of PVC exhibited reduced body weight and length compared to the control groups. These findings indicate a potential negative impact of PVC pollution on the growth and development of aquatic organisms, highlighting the urgent need for effective strategies to mitigate plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.