Genotoxic effects induced by the exposure to an environmental mixture of illicit drugs to the zebra mussel.
Despite the growing interest on the presence of illicit drugs in freshwater ecosystems, just recently the attention has been focused on their potential toxicity towards non-target aquatic species. However, these studies largely neglected the effects induced by exposure to complex mixtures of illicit drugs, which could be different compared to those caused by single psychoactive molecules. This study was aimed at investigating the genetic damage induced by a 14-day exposure to a realistic mixture of the most common illicit drugs found in surface waters worldwide (cocaine, benzoylecgonine, amphetamine, morphine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) on the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha). The mixture caused a significant increase of DNA fragmentation and triggered the apoptotic process and micronuclei formation in zebra mussel hemocytes, pointing out its potential genotoxicity towards this bivalve species.
Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: marco.parolini@unimi.it.
Marco
M
Parolini
Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan, Italy.
Stefano
S
Magni
IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Via La Masa 19, I-20156 Milan, Italy.
Sara
S
Castiglioni
Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: andrea.binelli@unimi.it.
Andrea
A
Binelli
D000818:Animals; D004249:DNA Damage; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D049875:Dreissena / Q000187:drug effects*; D005618:Fresh Water; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Contaminant mixture; Genotoxicity; Illicit drugs; Zebra mussel