IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT) e-ISSN: 2319-2402,p- ISSN: 2319-2399.Volume 8, Issue 5 Ver. II (May. 2014), PP 13-17 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 13 | Page Risk Assessment of Groundwater of Sanganer Industrial Area (Jaipur) on Hematology of Swiss Albino Mice Ravi Kumar Goyal 1 , Kalpana Ojha 1 , Subhasini Sharma 1 *, K. P. Sharma 2 1 Dept. of Zoology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur (Rajasthan), India 2 Dept. of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur (Rajasthan), India Abstract: Blood is primary target to environmental toxicants. Hematological study is an important diagnostic tool and has proved that they may be used as valuable sensitive indicators of toxicity due to different pollutant. Hematological values are widely used to determine systematic relationship and physiological adaptations including the assessment of general health conditions. In the present study, long term exposure (180 days) of groundwater of Sanganer Industrial Area on various Hematological parameters (RBC count, WBC count, Hb%, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, poikilocytosis and anisocytosis of RBC) in Mus musculus. Keywords: Chronic toxicity, Groundwater, Hematology, Swiss Albino Mice I. Introduction As a consequence of rapid industrialization after the independence, the problem of waste materials in the form of solid or liquid has grown significantly. Untreated effluents and solid waste from industrial units is being discharged or dumped near the factories in open, and is subjected to reaction with percolating rainwater and reaches the groundwater level. The percolating water picks up a large amount of dissolved constituents, reaches the aquifer system, and contaminates the groundwater. Soil porosity supports the percolation rate. Groundwater used for drinking purpose should be free from any toxic elements, living and nonliving organism and excessive amount of minerals that may be hazardous to health. Textile industry is one of the largest organized sectors in India that provides bread and butter to a majority of the people. These industries generate voluminous quantities of wastewater, either treated or untreated, that causes environmental degradation. Chemical composition of wastewater comprises of several dyes, amines, salts, bleach, acid/alkali and having high concentration of COD, BOD, DO, TH, TDS, EC, Heavy metals like Pb, Cu, Cr, Fe, Cd etc. Sanganer (26º49’-26º51’N latitudes and 75º46’-75º50’E longitude) is 16 km far from Jaipur, Rajasthan (India) famous for its traditional textile printing units. The continuous release of the wastewater from industries and sandy nature of soil of the area, which allows the maximum percolation of pollutants present in the wastewater from industries along the rocks, has affected the physico-chemical characteristics of groundwater. After the physico-chemical analysis of groundwater of this area, we found heavy metal contamination and changed chemical characteristics (Ojha et al. 2013). Earlier studies showed that exposure of textile waste water at different concentration have affected hematology and biochemistry of fish (Sharma et al. 1999, Sharma et al.2001) as well as rats and mice (Sharma et al.2003, Sharma et al. 2006, Sharma et al. 2007a, Sharma et al. 2009a, Kurde et al. 1993, Kurde and Singh 1995, Mathur et al. 2003a, Mathur et al. 2003b, Suryavathi et al.2005, Sharma et al.2007b, Sharma et al.2009b). However, there is almost no research work on the toxicity of affected groundwater on hematological parameter in mammals. Thus, present study was carried out to investigate the effects of groundwater exposure on the hematological parameters in Swiss albino mice as an experimental animal. II. Material And Methods The groundwater samples used during the present study were collected from Madrampura, Sanganer, Jaipur (Ojha et al. 2013). The characteristics of groundwater (using APHA, 1989) were as follows: pH 8.0, EC 1700 μmhoCm -1 , TDS 1517mg l -1 , Cl - 400 mg l -1 , TA 800mg l -1 , Pb 0.4mg l -1 , Cu 3.84mg l -1 , Zn 11.88 mg l -1 . The levels of lead (Pb), TDS, EC, TA was slightly higher than the limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standard, New Delhi (BIS, 1991). Healthy mature male mice (age: 28-35 days, weighing 30-40gm) were acclimated for one week prior to entry into the experimental protocol. Mice (five per cage) were kept in polypropylene cages [50cm (length) × 25cm (width) ×15cm (height)] at 25±3°C temperature, 40-60% relative humidity and 12-hour alternate light: dark cycle. The mice were fed with measured amounts of standard mice feed (Hindustan Lever Limited, New Delhi, India). Mice were divided into 2 groups- Group 1 (Control): Standard feed + University tap water Group 2 (Experimental): Standard feed + Sample Groundwater