title: Measurement of DNA single-strand breaks in gill and hemolymph cells of mussels, Mytilus sp., collected on the French Atlantic Coast.
abstract: DNA single-strand breaks were measured by the comet assay in both gill and hemolymph cells of mussels collected in 3 sampling areas of the French coast (Pointe du Castelli, Pen Bron and Saint-Nazaire Harbour). Whole mussel tissue samples were also collected for the chemical determination of PAH, PCB and heavy metal concentrations. In mussel, a higher level of DNA strand breaks was measured in gill than in hemolymph cells (p < 0.01). Despite a factor of contamination from 2 to 3 between sites, no difference in the extent of mussel DNA strand breaks was shown between sampling locations (p > 0.05), questioning the sensitivity of the assays used in biomonitoring studies.
authors.affiliation: IFREMER, Département des Polluants Chimiques, Rue de l'lle d'Yeu, BP 21105, Nantes Cedex 03 44311, France. farida.akcha@ifremmer.fr
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akcha
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanguy
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leday
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pelluhet
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Budzinski
authors.forename: J-F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Chiffoleau
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005602:France; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005880:Gills / Q000378:metabolism; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000378:metabolism; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000633:toxicity*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls