Abstract
The high toxicity of diesel components makes oil spills a threat to the biota in coastal marine environments. The genotoxic effect of the diesel water-soluble fraction (DWSF) on Hippocampus reidi (Ginsburg, 1933) was assessed. Fish were exposed to three different DWSF dilutions for up to 96 hours, and genotoxicity was analyzed using the micronuclei test and the comet assay. The micronuclei test revealed no significant differences between any of the DWSF dilutions and the control in the 24-hours period; however, micronuclei increased in fish exposed to 1:500 and 1:100 DWSF dilutions for 96 hours. For all dilutions, there was an increase in micronuclei in fish exposed for 96 hours when compared to those exposed for 24 hours. The tested dilutions increased frequencies of cell classes 2 (medium damage) and 3 (large damage) in the comet assay after 24 and 96 hours. Fish exposed to DWSF 1:100 exhibited a higher frequency of class 4 (apoptosis) cells in the 96-hours period. All dilutions increased the comet score when compared to the control at 24 and 96 hours. The micronuclei and comet tests were efficient in detecting DWSF genotoxic effects in H. reidi.
Highlights
Diesel spills are a very important source of marine and coastal pollution (ZHANG et al 2004, KING et al 2005, ALBAIGÉS et al 2006, SIMONATO et al 2008)
No statistically significant differences were observed in micronuclei frequency with respect to the control in samples collected in the 24-h period for any of the dilutions tested
H. reidi exposed to all diesel water-soluble fraction (DWSF) dilutions presented significantly greater numbers of damaged cell classes 2 and 3 in comparison with their controls
Summary
Diesel spills are a very important source of marine and coastal pollution (ZHANG et al 2004, KING et al 2005, ALBAIGÉS et al 2006, SIMONATO et al 2008). The micronuclei test and the comet assay are among the most efficient methods to evaluate DNA damage caused by diesel oil toxicity in fish (BUSCHINI et al 2004, MARTÍNEZ-GOMEZ et al 2006, VANZELLA et al 2007). These two tests are simple, rapid and highly sensitive to several kinds of DNA damage (HARTMAN et al 2003). This study aimed to assess the genotoxic effect of the DWSF on H. reidi and to evaluate the efficiency of the micronuclei test and the comet assay to detect genotoxic effects of the DWSF in this species
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