Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Necropsy-based Wild Fish Health Assessment
Published on: September 11, 2018
Assessing genotoxic effects in fish from a marine protected area influenced by former mining activities and other
Paloma Kachel Gusso-Choueri1, Rodrigo Brasil Choueri2, Gustavo Souza Santos3
1Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), CP 19031, CEP 81531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil; Cellular Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Cellular Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), CP19031, 81531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil; Laboratory for the Study of Aquatic Pollution and Ecotoxicology (NEPEA), São Paulo State University, São Vicente Campus (UNESP Campus do Litoral Paulista), Praça Infante Dom Henrique, s/n, CP 11330-900 São Vicente, SP, Brazil.
Abstract:
The goal of the current study was to evaluate different genotoxicity tools in order to assess a marine protected area (MPA) affected by former mining activities and urban settlements. A catfish (Cathorops spixii) was analyzed for genotoxic effects at the (i) molecular and at the (ii) chromosomal levels. Through factor analysis, genotoxicity was found to be linked to levels of metals bioaccumulated and PAH metabolites in the bile. Micronucleus and nuclear alteration were less vulnerable to the effects of confounding factors in mildly contaminated areas since they were more frequently associated with bioaccumulated metals than the DNA analysis. The different genotoxicity responses allowed for the identification of sources of pollution in the MPA. This approach was important for detecting environmental risks related to genotoxic contaminants in a mildly contaminated MPA.
