title: Genotoxicity of Water Contaminants from the Basin of Lake Sevan, Armenia Evaluated by the Comet Assay in Gibel Carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) and Tradescantia Bioassays.
abstract: Combination of bioassays and chemical analysis was applied to determine the genotoxic/mutagenic contamination in four different sites of the basin of Lake Sevan in Armenia. Water genotoxicity was evaluated using the single cell gel electrophoresis technique (comet assay) in erythrocytes of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio), Tradescantia micronucleus (Trad-MCN) and Tradescantia stamen hair mutation (Trad-SHM) assays. Significant inter-site differences in the levels of water genotoxicity according to fish and Trad-MCN bioassays have been revealed. Two groups of locations with lower (south-southwest of the village Shorzha and Peninsula of Lake Sevan) and higher (estuaries of Gavaraget and Dzknaget rivers) levels of water genotoxicity were distinguished. Correlation analysis support the hypothesis that the observed genetic alterations in fish and plant may be a manifestation of the effects of water contamination by nitrate ions, Si, Al, Fe, Mn and Cu. Increase of DNA damage in fish also correlated with content of total phosphorus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Cytology, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simonyan
authors.affiliation: Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Barduch
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gabrielyan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Physics of NAS RA, P.O. Box 0014, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Seyran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minasyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Cytology, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia.
authors.forename: Galina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hovhannisyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Cytology, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia. rouben_a@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rouben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aroutiounian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001136:Armenia; D001681:Biological Assay; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006054:Goldfish / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D060106:Lakes / Q000737:chemistry*; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D034823:Tradescantia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Biomonitoring; Comet assay; Fish; Tradescantia bioassays