Assessing the impact of pollution on the Japaratuba river in Brazil using the Drosophila wing spot test

Abstract

The Drosophila melanogaster somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) was used to assess the genotoxicity of surface (S) and bottom (B) water and sediment samples collected from Sites 1 and 2 on the Japaratuba River (Sergipe, Brazil), an area impacted by a petrochemical industrial complex that indirectly discharges treated effluent (produced water) into the river. The genotoxicity tests were performed in standard (ST) cross and high bioactivation (HB) cross flies and were conducted on samples taken in March (dry season) and in July (rainy season) of 2003. Mutant spot frequencies found in treatments with unprocessed water and sediment samples from the test sites were compared with the frequencies observed for similar samples taken from a clean reference site (the Jacarecica River in Sergipe, Brazil) and those of negative (ultrapure water) controls. While samples from the Japaratuba River generally produced greater responses than those from the Jacarecica River, positive responses were detected for both the test and reference site samples. All the water samples collected in March 2003 were genotoxic. In July 2003, the positive responses were restricted to water samples collected from Sites 1 B and 2 S in the ST cross. The genotoxicity of the water samples was due to mitotic recombination, and the samples produced similar genotoxic responses in ST and HB flies. The spot frequencies found in the July water samples were considerably lower than those for the March water samples, suggesting a seasonal effect. The only sediment samples that were genotoxic were from Site 1 (March and July) and from the Jacarecica River (March). The genotoxins in these samples produced both somatic mutation (limited to the Site 1 sample in HB flies) and recombination. The results of this study indicate that samples from both the Japaratuba and Jacarecica Rivers were genotoxic, with the most consistently positive responses detected with Site 1 samples, the site closest to the putative pollution source.

Antigenotoxic effects of Mandevilla velutina (Gentianales, Apocynaceae) crude extract on cyclophosphamide-induced micronuclei in Swiss mice and urethane-induced somatic mutation and recombination in Drosophila melanogaster

“…melanogaster are versatile and sensitive in vivo eukaryotic systems for the determination of genotoxic and antigenotoxic activity of chemical compounds and complex mixtures (Graf et al, 1998;Idaomar et al, 2002;Silva et al, 2006;Fragiorge et al, 2007;Pantaleão et al, 2007;Téllez et al, 2007).…”

Genotoxicity of water from the Paraguay River near Cáceres–MT, Brazil in the Drosophila wing‐spot test

“…The Somatic Mutation and Recombination test (SMART) on Drosophila melanogaster wings [Graf et al, 1984] has been used extensively to evaluate the genotoxicity of environmental samples [Delgado-Rodriguez et al, 1999;Amaral et al, 2005Amaral et al, , 2006Pantaleão et al, 2007]. Although there are several tests that can detect genotoxicity, only a rather small number have been used to evaluate complex mixtures [Claxton et al, 1998].…”

“…The SMART is capable of testing the genotoxicity of both stable and unstable composites, including chemical composites and composites dissolved in water and air [Graf et al, 1984]. Of importance to this present study, the SMART has been used to detect genotoxicity in the aquatic environment [Amaral et al, 2006], including fluvial water [Pantaleão et al, 2007].…”

Monitoramento biológico de recursos hídricos na região do Triângulo Mineiro-MG, por meio do teste de micronúcleo e SMART

“…The positive correlation between the increase in mutant spot frequency and the presence in the environment of a chemical agent with toxic potential was reported by Pantaleão et al (2007) and the impossibility of determining conclusively which was the conditioning compound for the occurrence of these events. Groten et al (2001) stated that the chemical compound interaction and consequent complex formation hinders discussion regarding the origin of the pollutant effects and their respective action mechanisms in the environment and exposed organisms.…”

“…SMART is a test that uses different Drosophila melanogaster lines to assess mutations and recombinations in the wings of individuals exposed to samples of contaminated waters (Amaral et al, 2005;Pantaleão et al, 2007).…”