Marine pollution risk in a coastal city: use of an eco-genotoxic tool as a stress indicator in mussels from the Eastern Aegean Sea
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH, vol.23, no.16, pp.16067-16078, 2016 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 23 Issue: 16
- Publication Date: 2016
- Doi Number: 10.1007/s11356-016-6783-1
- Journal Name: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.16067-16078
- Keywords: Mytilus galloprovincialis, Toxic chemicals, PAHs, DNA damage, Comet assay, Eastern Aegean Sea
- Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Coastal areas, such as bays, estuaries, and harbors, are heavily polluted since these areas are the settlements to which toxic chemicals from industrial and domestic wastes are discharged. The genetic damage was evaluated using bioindicator mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis caused by toxic chemicals (metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in A degrees zmir and andarlA Bays (the Eastern Aegean Sea) through comet assay. Three sampling sites from the two bays were selected and the study was conducted during the spring and autumn periods. The highest levels of DNA damage expressed as %Tail-DNA were observed in A degrees zmir Bay (34.60 % Tail-DNA) in the spring. Analysis of the correlation between PAHs and metals in mussels and %T-DNA in the hemolymph and gill cells showed a statistically significant positive correlation between %T-DNA and aPAH, chromium (p < 0.05). This study determined the pollution level of the A degrees zmir and CandarlA Bays by using the DNA damage to the mussel, which can identify the effects of environmental pollutants at the cellular levels. These results confirm that comet assay can be used to determine the temporal and spatial differences of DNA damage, and as a suitable tool for the measurement of genotoxicity in regions with low pollutant concentrations.