Arsenic-contaminated freshwater: assessing arsenate and arsenite toxicity and low-dose genotoxicity in Gammarus elvirae (Crustacea; Amphipoda).
Arsenic (As) contamination of freshwater is largely due to geogenic processes, but As is also released into the environment because of improper anthropic activities. The European regulatory limits in drinking water are of 10 μg L-1As. However, knowledge of the genotoxic effects induced by low doses of As in freshwater environments is still scanty. This study was designed to investigate arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)) toxicity and low-dose genotoxicity in Gammarus elvirae, which has proved to be a useful organism for genotoxicity assays in freshwater. As(V) and As(III) toxicity was assessed on the basis of the median lethal concentration, LC(50), while estimates of DNA damage were based on the Comet assay. The G. elvirae LC (50-240 h) value we calculated was 1.55 mg L-1for As(V) and 1.72 mg L-1for As(III). Arsenic exposure (240 h) at 5, 10, and 50 µg L-1of As in assays with either arsenate or arsenite-induced DNA damage in hemocytes of G. elvirae in a concentration-dependent manner. Our study provides a basis for future genotoxic research on exposure to freshwater that contains low levels of arsenic.
Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 32, Rome, Italy.
Lucilla
L
Ronci
Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 32, Rome, Italy.
Elvira
E
De Matthaeis
Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 32, Rome, Italy.
Claudio
C
Chimenti
Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 32, Rome, Italy. d.davolos@inail.it.|Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, Products and Anthropic Settlements, INAIL, Research Area, Via R. Ferruzzi 38/40, Rome, Italy. d.davolos@inail.it.
Domenico
D
Davolos
D033304:Amphipoda; D000818:Animals; D001149:Arsenates / Q000633:toxicity*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity; D018053:Arsenites / Q000633:toxicity*; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
D001149:Arsenates; D018053:Arsenites; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic
Arsenate; Arsenite; Comet assay; Gammarus; Hemocytes; LC(50)