title: Evaluation of the genotoxicity of river sediments from industrialized and unaffected areas using a battery of short-term bioassays.
abstract: The present investigation evaluated the capacity of the Salmonella mutagenicity test, the comet assay, and the micronucleus assay to detect and characterize the genotoxic profile of river sediments. Three stations were selected on an urban river (Bouches du Rhône, France) exposed to various sources of industrial and urban pollution (StA, StB, and StC) and one station on its tributary (StD). One station in a nonurban river was included (REF). The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined by HPLC, and the genotoxicity of the sediments was monitored by the Salmonella mutagenicity test (TA98 + S9, YG1041 +/- S9), the comet assay, and the micronucleus assay on CHO cells. Chemical analysis showed that the total PAH concentrations ranged from 23 microg kg(-1) dw (REF) to 1285 microg kg(-1) dw (StD). All the sediments were mutagenic in the Salmonella mutagenicity test. The mutagenicity was probably induced by the presence of nitroarenes (StA, StB, StC, and StD) and aromatic amines (REF) as deduced from the mutagenicity profiles of strains YG1041 +/- S9 and TA98 + S9. The comet assay revealed direct DNA lesions in REF, StA, and StB sediments and metabolization-dependent DNA damage in StC and StD. The micronucleus assay showed an absence of clastogenicity for StA +/- S9 and StC-S9, and a significant clastogenicity +/- S9 for the three other stations. The genotoxicity ranking determined by the comet assay + S9 matched the ranking of total and carcinogenic PAH concentrations, and this assay was found to be the most sensitive.
authors: Laboratoire de Biogénotoxicologie et Mutagenèse Environnementale, Université de la Méditerranée, Facultés de Médecine et Pharmacie, Marseille, France.
authors: Assia
authors: A
authors: Aouadene
authors: Carole
authors: C
authors: Di Giorgio
authors: Luc
authors: L
authors: Sarrazin
authors: Xavier
authors: X
authors: Moreau
authors: Laetitia
authors: L
authors: De Jong
authors: Fabrice
authors: F
authors: Garcia
authors: Alain
authors: A
authors: Thiery
authors: Alain
authors: A
authors: Botta
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: De Méo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004249:DNA Damage; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005602:France; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D007221:Industry; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D045483:Rivers; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D045424:Complex Mixtures; D009153:Mutagens; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical