Toxicological Assessment of Phthalate-Contaminated Wastewater and Duckweed Extract from Asa River Tributaries, Ilorin, Nigeria: Haematological Responses in Rattus norvegicus

Abstract

The improper release of phthalate esters into the environment generates toxic substances threatening both ecosystems and human health that could function as endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to organ damage and developmental defects. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to evaluate the haematological indices of phthalate esters on Rattus norvegicus (adult rats) by treated and untreated wastewater from Asa River tributaries, in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, using appropriate standard procedures. Male rats subjected to sea weed extracts exhibited significantly higher white blood cell counts at 9.85 ± 0.10 compared to females at 7.25 ± 0.30; p = 0.001, whereas females Wistar rats showed elevated hemoglobin levels at 17.25 ± 0.30 when compared to male rats at 13.53 ± 0.15; p = 0.001, red blood cell counts in female showed 7.70 ± 0.25 when compared with the male rats at 6.45 ± 0.20; p = 0.032. No major differences were observed in MCV, MCHC, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils in the male and female rats. The hematological evaluation of the male and female rats revealed significant differences between the duckweed-treated and untreated groups. In conclusion, conventional treatment markedly reduced haemo‑toxicity, indicating that it may likely remove most hepatotoxic, neurotoxic, cardiotoxic, and pneumotoxic constituents. These findings suggest the importance of wastewater management combined with evidence-based phytotherapy to protect organ health from wastewater pollutants.