Use of native species Crenicichla menezesi (Ariidae) as a model for in situ evaluation of genotoxicity in surface water

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 408; no. 23; pp. 6042 - 6046
• Main Authors: Egito, Lucila Carmem Monte, dos Santos, Patrícia Estevam, do Amaral, Viviane Souza, Batistuzzo de Medeiros, Silvia Regina, Agnez-Lima, Lucymara Fassarella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01.11.2010; [Amsterdam; New York]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Ariidae; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarker; Brazil; Chromium; Cichlids - physiology; Comet assay; Crenicichla; Crenicichla menezesi; DNA Damage; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Erythrocytes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotoxicity; Heavy metals; Micronucleus; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutagens - metabolism; Mutagens - toxicity; Rivers; Sampling; Surface water; Urban areas; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; South America; Brazil; America; Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte, Natal; Biomarker; Crenicichla menezesi; Comet assay; Heavy metals; Micronucleus; Genotoxicity; Animal model; Toxicity; Biological marker; Biological indicator; Heavy metal; Freshwater environment; Pollutant; Vertebrata; Pisces; Stream; Water pollution
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.08.023

The aim of this work was to analyze the genotoxicity in surface water from the Pitimbú River (Natal, Brazil) using a neotropical species Crenicichla menezesi as bioindicator for in situ evaluation. The genotoxicity was analyzed using the micronucleus (MN) and comet assays in erythrocytes. The animals were collected from five sites of the river. A significant increase of MN frequency and comet class L1 to L4 were observed only in specimens collected from three sampling sites (SS3, SS4 and SS5) located into urban areas. These same sites also presented high metals concentration. Correlation of DNA damage and concentrations of Cu (Spearman r = 0.8080), Cr (Spearman r = 0.9772), and Ni (Spearman r = 0.9909) were observed. These data indicate the presence of genotoxic agents. Moreover the C. menezesi species showed to be a good indicator for prompt analyses since this species presents sedentary and carnivore habits.