title: Evaluation of the genotoxic potential of the mineral coal tailings through the Helix aspersa (Müller, 1774).
abstract: Coal mining is an activity with a high potential for environmental pollution. Coal has been described as the most significant pollutant of all the fossil fuels, containing a heterogeneous mixture. Many elements present in coal byproducts as well as coal tailings are rich in potentially toxic and genotoxic metals, which ultimately lead to profound changes in cells, tissues, populations, and ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to assess the genotoxic potential of the mineral coal tailings using the land snail Helix aspersa. Animals were divided in three groups, clustered in plexiglass cages: control (animals fed with organic lettuce), coal tailings (animals living in a layer of pyrite tailings and fed with organic lettuce), and mine lettuce (animals fed with lettuce grown in an area located in a deposit of coal tailings). The hemolymph was collected at different exposure times (24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and 1 month) for comet assay analyses. Results showed that the animals of the coal tailings and mine lettuce groups presented higher levels of DNA damage in relation to the control group at all exposure times, but with a peak of DNA damage in 48 h and 96 h. These results demonstrate that the coal pyrite tailings are potentially genotoxic and that H. aspersa has proven to be a sensitive instrument for a better risk assessment of environmental pollution.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunologia e Mutagênese, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Unidade Acadêmica de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Av. Universitária 1105, Bairro Universitário, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela Dimer
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Leffa
authors.forename: Adriani Paganini
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Damiani
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Jairo José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zocche
authors.forename: Carla Eliete Iochims
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Liana Appel
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Boufleur
authors.forename: Johnny Ferraz
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Vanessa Moraes
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: de Andrade
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003031:Coal / Q000633:toxicity*; D003032:Coal Mining; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006372:Helix, Snails / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D008903:Minerals / Q000633:toxicity*; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D008903:Minerals; D009153:Mutagens