Abstract
The genotoxicity of pesticides is an issue of worldwide concern and chlorpyrifos is one of the largest selling organophosphate agrochemicals that has been widely detected in surface waters of India. The studies on long term genotoxic biomarkers are limited; therefore, present study was carried out to analyze the incidence of nuclear anomalies in the blood cells of fresh water fish Cirrhinus mrigala using micronucleus (MN) assay as a potential tool for assessment of genotoxicity. Acute toxicity of chlorpyrifos was evaluated by exposing fingerlings to different doses of chlorpyrifos (1/20, 1/10, and 1/5 of LC50) and LC50 was calculated as 0.44 mg L−1 using probit analysis. Blood samples were taken on days 2, 4, 8, 12, 21, 28, and 35. In general, significant effects for both concentration and duration of exposure were observed in treated fish. It was found that MN induction was highest on day 14 at 0.08 mg L−1 concentration of chlorpyrifos. It was concluded that chlorpyrifos is genotoxic pesticide causing nuclear anomalies in Cirrhinus mrigala.
Highlights
Occupational exposure to pesticides is a common and alarming worldwide phenomenon
The electrical conductivity of the water ranged from 566.7 ± 0.03 to 861 ± 1.77 μ mho cm−1; total hardness and alkalinity ranged from 350 ± 1.15 to 398 ± 0.06 and from 30.05 ± 0.5 to 43.4 ± 0.77 mg L−1, respectively
Each affected erythrocyte had a single micronucleus while a few cells contained more than one micronucleus and some had larger sized micronuclei
Summary
Various industrial and agricultural activities increase pollution, in the aquatic environment, which is contaminated by various toxic chemicals from the discharge of waste waters and agricultural drainage [1] These are responsible for multiple effects at the organisms, including humans, affecting organ function, reproductive status, species survival, population size, and biodiversity. Chlorpyrifos (O,O diethyl O-3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridyl phosphorothioate) is one of the earliest developed organophosphate, introduced in India in 1965 [3] It is nonsystemic broad spectrum, general use pesticide that disrupts the nervous system function by inhibiting cholinesterase enzyme that normally terminates nerve transmission by cleaving the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and resultant cholinesterase accumulation [4, 5]. With the prohibition of those high toxic organophosphorus insecticides in the production of vegetables and the food crops, the usage of chlorpyrifos has rapidly increased
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