Studies of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities in red blood cells of Colossoma macropomum exposed to methylmercury.
The frequencies of micronuclei (MN) and morphological nuclear abnormalities (NA) in erythrocytes in the peripheral blood of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), treated with 2 mg.L(-1) methylmercury (MeHg), were analyzed. Two groups (nine specimens in each) were exposed to MeHg for different periods (group A - 24 h; group B - 120 h). A third group served as negative control (group C, untreated; n = 9). Although, when compared to the control group there were no significant differences in MN frequency in the treated groups, for NA, the differences between the frequencies of group B (treated for 120 h) and the control group were extremely significant (p < 0.02), thus demonstrating the potentially adverse effects of MeHg on C. macropomum erythrocytes after prolonged exposure.
Coordenação de Recursos Pesqueiros e Agronegócio, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil.
Carlos Alberto Machado
CA
da Rocha
Lorena Araújo
LA
da Cunha
Raul Henrique
RH
da Silva Pinheiro
Marcelo
M
de Oliveira Bahia
Rommel Mario Rodríguez
RM
Burbano