Mutagenicity of cyclophosphamide and kraft mill effluent and sediment on the eel Anguilla anguilla L.

Abstract

The sister chromatid exchange (SCE) assay in A. anguilla L. gills has been developed in our laboratory to assess the mutagenic activity of compounds present in brackish water environments contaminated by industrial effluents. The sensitivity of the test was assessed by performing mutagenic treatment for 72 h with a standard compound — cyclophosphamide (CP) (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg/l). This species exhibits a dose response to CP at the concentration range 6.25–100 mg/l. A 100-mg/l dose of CP increased the rate of SCE per metaphase plate from a base line frequency 0.23 SCE's per metaphase plate up to 3.4 SCE's per metaphase plate. The mutagenic effect of the bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKPME) and its sediment was also tested in Anguilla anguilla L., using the sister chromatid exchange assay (SCE). The results showed an increase in the number of SCE's per metaphase plate in the eel, A. anguilla L., exposed to the 75% BKPME compared with the SCE's in BKPME sediment plus BKPME (S + BKPME) and with BKPME sediment plus clean tap water exposed eels (S + W). However, the number of SCE's per metaphase plate in A. anguilla L. exposed to 75% BKPME is lower than in the standard cyclophosphamide (CP) exposed eels. The SCE frequency was: CONTROL < S + W < + BKPME < BKPME < CP.