A biomarker model of sublethal genotoxicity (DNA single-strand breaks and adducts) using the sentinel organism Aporrectodea longa in spiked soil
Publication Date
2005-11ICR Author
Author
Martin, FL
Piearce, TG
Hewer, A
Phillips, DH
Semple, KT
Type
Journal Article
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Show full item recordAbstract
There is a need to develop risk biomarkers during the remediation of contaminated land. We employed the earthworm, Aporreetodea longa (Ude), to determine whether genotoxicity measures could be applied to this organism’s intestinal tissues. Earthworms were added, for 24 h or 7 days, to soil samples spiked with benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and/or lindane. After exposure, intestinal tissues (crop/gizzard or intestine) were removed prior to the measurement in disaggregated cells of DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) by the alkaline comet assay. Damage was quantified by comet tail length (CTL, mu m). B[a]P 24-h exposure induced dose-related increases (P < 0.0001) in SSBs. Earthworm intestine was significantly (P < 0.0001) more susceptible than crop/gizzard to B[a]P and/or lindane. However, both tissues appeared to acquire resistance following 7-day exposure. B[a]P-DNA adducts, measured by P-32-postlabelling, showed a two-adduct-spot pattern. This preliminary investigation suggests that earthworm tissues may be incorporated into genotoxicity assays to facilitate hazard identification within terrestrial ecosystems. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Research team
Human Biomonitoring & Carcinogen Activation
Language
English
License start date
2005-11
Citation
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, 2005, 138 pp. 307 - 315
Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD