Increased genotoxic damage in Sicilian donkeys reared in different conditions of air quality

This study investigates chromosomal damage in donkeys to assess the impact of long-term exposure to different concentrations of environmental genotoxic agents, which pose health risks to animals and humans by promoting DNA breaks. The genotoxic damage was assessed through aneuploidy, chromosomal aberrations (CAs), and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) tests in donkeys, crossbred Ragusano and Grigio Siciliano breeds, from three areas in the Sicily region (Italy) with different levels of air pollution. Donkeys from areas with higher concentrations of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide showed significantly elevated levels of aneuploidy and chromosomal abnormalities compared to those from less polluted areas. These findings provide the first evidence in donkeys of the combined effects of long-term exposure to airborne pollutants on genomic stability. This study reinforces the potential use of donkeys as effective biomonitoring organisms for evaluating environmental health risks and genotoxic damage under different pollution conditions.