ABSTRACT

The main objective of this research was to investigate the harmful effects of different treatments of wastewater from the carbonated beverage industry on the genetic expression of juvenile Clarias gariepinus fish. Tissue samples were obtained from the liver of juvenile C. gariepinus. The RNA was then separated, quantified, and normalized. Complementary DNA was synthesized, and agarose gel electrophoresis was performed. This operation followed normal norms. The findings obtained from the research demonstrated the varied expression levels of MMP9 at concentration levels of 0%,0.5%, 1.5%, 3.5%, and 5.0%. The statistically significant association of the expression levels of the genes at different doses with the comparable controls demonstrated that the increase in the expression of the genes in response to carbonated beverage effluent exposure was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The increase in the expression of the genes implies that C. gariepinus is adversely influenced by carbonated beverage industry wastewater. Therefore, proper treatment of carbonated beverage effluent is advised before disposal in the aquatic environment to prevent any harmful influence on the genes of C. gariepinus.