The Comet assay, also called the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay or microgel electrophoresis (MGE) assay, primarily measures DNA strand breakage in single cells. Since the protocol was published by Singh et al. [1988], its use has increased in different topic areas: clinical applications, human monitoring, radiation biology, genetic toxicology, and genetic ecotoxicology. This study is a review of the investigations that have involved the alkaline version of the Comet assay in genetic ecotoxicology. It focuses mainly on the type of organisms (plants, worms, molluscs, fish, amphibians, and mammalians) but also on the type of cells that have been used for ecotoxicological studies. In the 23 papers published since 1993 and presented here, the original test procedure may have been slightly modified according to the cell type. In vitro and in vivo experiments as well as in situ studies have been carried out in various environments (water, soil, and air). Although the Comet assay is able to detect genotoxic effects of chemical and physical agents, only chemical substances and environmental complex mixtures will be considered in this review. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 34:246–255, 1999 © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Due to human activities, large volumes of soils are contaminated with organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and very often by metallic pollutants as well. Multipolluted soils are therefore a key concern for remediation. This work presents a long-term evaluation of the fate and environmental impact of the organic and metallic contaminants of an industrially polluted soil under natural and plant-assisted conditions. A field trial was followed for four years according to six treatments in four replicates: unplanted, planted with alfalfa with or without mycorrhizal inoculation, planted with Noccaea caerulescens, naturally colonized by indigenous plants, and thermally treated soil planted with alfalfa. Leaching water volumes and composition, PAH concentrations in soil and solutions, soil fauna and microbial diversity, soil and solution toxicity using standardized bioassays, plant biomass, mycorrhizal colonization, were monitored. Results showed that plant cover alone did not affect total contaminant concentrations in soil. However, it was most efficient in improving the contamination impact on the environment and in increasing the biological diversity. Leaching water quality remained an issue because of its high toxicity shown by micro-algae testing. In this matter, prior treatment of the soil by thermal desorption proved to be the only effective treatment.

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