title: Assessment of status of three water bodies in Serbia based on tissue metal and metalloid concentration (ICP-OES) and genotoxicity (comet assay).
abstract: Metals and metalloids are natural components of the biosphere, which are not produced per se by human beings, but whose form and distribution can be affected by human activities. Like all substances, they are a contaminant if present in excess compared to background levels and/or in a form that would not normally occur in the environment. Samples of liver, gills, gonads and muscle from European chub, Squalius cephalus, were analyzed for Al, As, B, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Sr and Zn using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) to highlight the importance of tissue selection in monitoring research. The comet assay or single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) was selected as an in vivo genotoxicity assay, a rapid and sensitive method for measuring genotoxic effects in blood, liver and gills of the European chub. Microscopic images of comets were scored using Comet IV Computer Software (Perceptive Instruments, UK). The objective of our study was to investigate two reservoirs, Zlatar and Garasi, and one river, Pestan by: (i) determining and comparing metal and metalloid concentrations in sediment, water and tissues of European chub: liver, gills, muscle and gonads (ii) comparing these findings with genotoxicity of water expressed through DNA damage of fish tissues. A clear link between the level of metals in water, sediment and tissues and between metal and genotoxicity levels at examined sites was not found. This suggests that other xenobiotics (possibly the organic compounds), contribute to DNA damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; Center for Genotoxicology and Ecogenotoxicology, Chair of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Studenski Trg 16, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: sunjogkarolina@imsi.rs.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sunjog
authors.affiliation: Center for Genotoxicology and Ecogenotoxicology, Chair of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Studenski Trg 16, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: stoimirk@bio.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Stoimir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kolarević
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Research Siniša Stanković, Despota Stefana 142, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: margareta.kracun@ibiss.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kračun-Kolarević
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Željka
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Višnjić-Jeftić
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skorić
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gačić
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lenhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Mineralogy, Crystallography, Petrology and Geochemistry, Faculty of Mining and Geology, University of Belgrade, Djušina 7, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: nebojsa.vasic@rgf.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Nebojša
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vasić
authors.affiliation: Center for Genotoxicology and Ecogenotoxicology, Chair of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Studenski Trg 16, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: brankavg@bio.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vuković-Gačić
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020552:Comet Assay; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D004249:DNA Damage; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D060106:Lakes / Q000032:analysis; D058955:Metalloids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D045483:Rivers; D055771:Serbia; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D058955:Metalloids; D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Comet assay; Fish; Genotoxicology; ICP-OES; Metalloids; Metals