Abstract
Some water bodies in the Sinos River Basin (SRB) have been suffering the effects of pollution by residential, industrial and agroindustrial wastewater. The presence of cytotoxic and genotoxic compounds could compromise the water quality and the balance of these ecosystems. In this context, the research aimed to evaluate the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of the water at four sites along the SRB (in the cities of Santo Antônio da Patrulha, Parobé, Campo Bom and Esteio), using bioassays in fish and cell culture. Samples of surface water were collected and evaluated in vitro using the Astyanax jacuhiensis fish species (micronucleus test and comet assay) and the Vero lineage of cells (comet assay and cytotoxicity tests, neutral red - NR and tetrazolium MTT). The micronucleus test in fish showed no significant differences between the sampling sites, and neither did the comet assay and the MTT and NR tests in Vero cells. The comet assay showed an increase in genetic damage in the fish exposed to water samples collected in the middle and lower sections of the basin (Parobé, Campo Bom and Esteio) when compared to the upper section of the basin (Santo Antônio da Patrulha). The results indicate contamination by genotoxic substances starting in the middle section of the SRB.
Highlights
The Sinos River Basin (SRB) is located in the northeast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and is integral to the Guaíba hydrographic region
Each site had its location marked by the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS), as follows: Santo Antônio da Patrulha (29°489.96”S/50°30’8.38”W), a municipality located in the upper section of the basin, near the sources of Sinos River and presenting low urbanisation, with small rural areas (Vargas et al, 2001)
The results show that there were significant differences for the two parameters under study, with the fish exposed to the sample from Santo Antônio da Patrulha presenting significantly lower values than those observed for the other three sampling sites
Summary
The Sinos River Basin (SRB) is located in the northeast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and is integral to the Guaíba hydrographic region It extends over approximately 3,800 km, encompassing 32 municipalities. Spilki and Tundisi (2010) have reported that the Sinos River Basin is highly degraded due to a series of recurring impacts on water, soil and air quality over the years. This current situation of environmental degradation is the consequence of a process of huge economic development, arising from the footwear/leather sector and from intense urbanisation that took place with no concern for environmental conservation
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