DNA double-strand breaks in incubating female common eiders (Somateria mollissima): Comparison between a low and a high polluted area

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Environmental contaminants are found throughout Arctic marine ecosystems, and their presence in seabirds has been associated with toxicological responses. However, there are few studies of genotoxicity in Arctic avian wildlife. The purpose of the present study was to quantify deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in lymphocytes of selected seabird species and to examine whether accumulation of organohalogen contaminants (ΣOHCs) affects DNA damage. Blood was sampled from common eider (Somateria mollissima), black guillemot (Cepphus grylle), black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus), arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), and great skua (Stercorarius skua) in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (Norway). Contaminant concentrations found in the 6 species differed, presumably because of foraging ecology and biomagnification. Despite large differences in contaminant concentrations, ranging from ΣOHCs 3.3 ng/g wet weight in the common eider to ΣOHCs 895 ng/g wet weight in the great skua, there was no strong difference among the species in baseline DNA damage or sensitivity to a genotoxic stressor (hydrogen peroxide). Baseline levels of DNA damage were low, with median values ranging from 1.7% in the common eider to 8.6% in the great skua. There were no associations between DNA damage and contaminants in the investigated species, suggesting that contaminant concentrations in Kongsfjorden are too low to evoke genotoxic effects, or possibly that lymphocytes are resistant to strand breakage. Clearly, genotoxicity is a topic for future studies of Arctic seabirds. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1084-1091. © 2017 SETAC.

Section: Association Between Dna Damage and Contaminantsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Association Between Dna Damage and Contaminantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA damage in Arctic seabirds: Baseline, sensitivity to a genotoxic stressor, and association with organohalogen contaminants

Haarr

Hylland

Eckbo

et al. 2018

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“…More recently, the frequency of ENAs has been used as a marker to detect genotoxic damage in birds (De Mas et al 2015; Santos et al 2017b). Although its genotoxic effects in birds have been scarcely addressed in the literature, Hg has been suggested to have genotoxic effects (e.g., Fenstad et al 2016). In the present study, higher levels of Hg in down feathers were positively related to an increase in ENA frequency, but again not with increased dietary intake of Hg.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury Uptake Affects the Development of Larus fuscus Chicks

Santos

Sotillo

Gupta

et al. 2020

Current emission and mobilization rates of mercury (Hg) in the environment pose extensive threats to both wildlife and human health. Assessing the exposure risk and effects of Hg contamination in model species such as seabirds is essential to understand Hg risks at the population and ecosystem levels. The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), a generalist seabird species, is an excellent model species because it forages in both marine and terrestrial habitats, which in turn differ in their Hg exposure risk. To identify possible deleterious effects of Hg exposure on developing L. fuscus chicks, a dietary experiment was carried out and chicks were provided a marine, terrestrial, or mixed diet. The effects of embryonic and dietary Hg exposure on chick body condition and physiological state were assessed at different developmental stages until fledging age (30 d). Overall physiological condition was lower in chicks fed a predominantly marine diet, which coincided with higher Hg loads in blood and primary feathers. However, no effect of dietary uptake of Hg was observed on body condition or in terms of genotoxic damage. Body condition and genotoxic damage correlated instead with Hg exposure during embryonic development, which seems to indicate that embryonic exposure to Hg may result in carry-over effects on later chick development.

“…Not much is known about the genotoxic effects of organochlorine contaminants in Arctic wildlife. Some studies have been carried out, for example, on glaucous gulls (L. hyperboreus) fed environmentally contaminated eggs (Østby et al 2005;Krøkje et al 2006) and on fasting common eiders (Somateria mollissima; Fenstad et al 2014Fenstad et al , 2016. According to the literature, no studies of genotoxicity in wild Arctic fish have been performed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although not that well studied, there are reports showing a clear and significant relationship between DNA damage and exposure to organochlorine contaminants (Binelli et al 2008;Marabini et al 2011;Fenstad et al 2014Fenstad et al , 2016. Srinivasan et al (2001) showed that PCB metabolites can induce breaks in DNA strands in vitro, and Binelli et al (2008) showed that dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, a metabolite of the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, caused DNA strand breaks in vivo.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA Double‐Strand Breaks in Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) from Bjørnøya in the Norwegian Arctic

Neerland

Bytingsvik

Nikiforov

et al. 2019

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High levels of organochlorine contaminants (OCs) have been found in arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from Lake Ellasjøen, Bjørnøya (Norwegian Arctic). The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential genotoxic effect of environmental organochlorine contaminant exposure in arctic char from Ellasjøen compared with arctic char from the low‐contaminated Lake Laksvatn nearby. Blood was analyzed using agarose gel electrophoresis and image data analysis to quantify the fraction of total DNA that migrated into the gel (DNA‐FTM) as a relative measure of DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs). Analysis by GC‐MS of muscle samples showed an average 43 times higher concentration of ΣOCs in arctic char from Ellasjøen (n = 18) compared with Laksvatn char (n = 21). Char from Lake Ellasjøen had a much higher frequency of DSBs, as measured by DNA‐FTM, than char from Lake Laksvatn. Principal component analysis and multiple linear regressions show that there was a significant positive relationship between DSBs and levels of organochlorine contaminants in the char. In addition, DSBs were less frequent in reproductively mature char than in immature char. The results suggest that organochlorine contaminants are genotoxic to arctic char. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2405–2413. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC