Evaluation of DNA Damage in Eurasian Marsh Frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) by Comet Assay for Determination of Possible Pollution in the Different Lakes in Central Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

In the present study, adult Eurasian marsh frogs, Pelophylax ridibundus, and water samples were collected from a reference lake and three water bodies in central Anatolia, Turkey, to evaluate the water for chemical pollutants and possible effects of pollutants on the DNA of frog erythrocytes by using a comet assay. The results for DNA damage parameters of the comet assay (total comet length, tail intensity, and olive tail moment) and their statistical analysis by ANOVA demonstrated that P. ridibundus and the comet assay together represent an useful approach for the early detection of polluted water bodies.