Genotoxic and teratogenic potential of marine sediment extracts investigated with comet assay and zebrafish test

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 132; no. 2; pp. 279 - 287
• Main Authors: Kammann, Ulrike, Biselli, Scarlett, Hühnerfuss, Heinrich, Reineke, Ninja, Theobald, Norbert, Vobach, Michael, Wosniok, Werner
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Comet Assay; Danio rerio; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Embryo; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollution; Fractionation; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments; Lethal Dose 50; Marine; Marine sediment; Mutagenicity Tests; Seawater; Toxicity; Toxicity Tests; Zebrafish; ANE, North Sea; North Sea; ANE, Baltic Sea; Baltic Sea; Fractionation; Embryo; Marine sediment; Toxicity; Comet assay; Vertebrata; Marine sediments; Pisces; Cyprinidae; Teratogen
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2004.04.021

Organic extracts of marine sediments from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea were investigated with two toxicity assays. The comet assay based on the fish cell line Epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) was applied to determine the genotoxic potential; zebrafish embryos ( Danio rerio) were used to quantify the teratogenic potential of the samples. EC 50 values were calculated from dose–response curves for both test systems. Highest teratogenic and genotoxic effects normalised to total organic carbon (TOC) content were detected in sediment samples of different origins. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are not likely to be the causes of the observed effects, as demonstrated by a two-step fractionation procedure of selected extracts. The toxic potential was more pronounced in fractions having polarity higher than those possessed by PAHs and PCBs. The suitability of the two in vitro test systems for assessing genotoxic and teratogenic effects of marine sediment extracts could be demonstrated. In vitro toxicity assays are used to assess genotoxic and teratogenic effects of environmental extracts.