engleski

Genotoxicity monitoring of marine and freshwater environments

DNA is, among the cellular components, one of the main targets of environmental pollution. Genotoxicity monitoring was conducted over several years in Croatian marine and freshwater ecosystems. Genotoxic burden of the environment was assessed by measuring DNA damage in haemocytes of transplanted (caged) and native mussels: Mytilus galloprovincialis for marine, and Unio pictorum for freshwater ecosystems. The level of DNA damage was evaluated by comet and micronucleus assays. Both assays have indicated same sites as being polluted, with high concordance of results through the years. The sensitivity of the alkaline comet assay is very high, but it detects mostly repairable DNA lesions (alkali labile sites, single strand DNA breakages) indicating recent pollution status. The micronucleus assay detects more persistent DNA lesions (double strand DNA breakages) and aneugenic effects that cannot be repaired, but requires cell division and it is therefore primary defined by the cell cycle kinetic. Hence, the combined use of these two assays in genotoxicity monitoring is advantageous because they seem to complement each other.

genotoxicity; monitoring; environment; mussels

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