Evaluation of the genotoxicity in fish erythrocytes to diagnose the water quality of two Amazonian estuaries using the micronucleus test and comet assay

Abstract

Genotoxicity studies in coastal ecosystems have been a priority in Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA). This research aimed to study the genotoxicity by the micronucleus test and comet assay in two Brazilian Amazon estuaries (anthropized and control) using Plagioscion squamosissimus as a bioindicator. Blood samples were collected from 54 specimens. No significant genotoxic effects were detected in the cells analyzed, although the highest occurrence was observed in anthropized site. The percentage of genomic damage differed between the sites studied, being always higher in anthropizes site as well. Of the nucleoids analyzed in this site, on average 28 ± 14.42% of the cells were classified in the highest damage class (4). The fish analyzed in the present study are direct influence of xenobiont agents capable of producing damage to the genetic material of aquatic organisms in both sites and, consequently, may bring consequences still little reported in studies of morphophysiological alterations in humans.

Analysis of micronuclei and nuclear anomalies in the erythrocytes of fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds: criteria for detection and typing

“…С учётом этих дополнительных семи типов ЯА получены результаты многих исследований, выполненных на рыбах [117,134,154,175,194,224,227,232,233,266,295] , амфибиях [167,203,205,301,336,354], рептилиях [208,259,341] и птицах [117,267,300]. Вместе с тем, ряд авторов при анализе ЯА учитывали только некоторые из семи указанных выше типов ЯА.…”