DETECTION OF GENOTOXICITY OF POLLUTED SEA-WATER USING SHELLFISH AND THE ALKALINE SINGLE-CELL GEL-ELECTROPHORESIS (SCE) ASSAY - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

We exposed two species of shellfish, Patunopecten yessoensis and Tapes japonica, for 4 h to artificial sea water in which N-methyl-N'-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), ethyl nitrosourea (EMS), 3-chloro-4-dichlor omethyl-5-hydroxy-2(H)-furanone (MX), or benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) were d issolved. We then assessed the DNA damage in cells isolated from the g ills using the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCG) assay. A statistically significant increase in DNA damage was observed for all exposures. Therefore, the alkaline SCG assay detected DNA damage in g ill cells produced by direct mutagens and promutagen dissolved in sea water. T. japonica was exposed to sea water sampled from two Pacific O cean coasts of Japanese local cities - Hachinohe (Aomori Prefecture, T ohoku) and Nakatsu (Oita Prefecture, Kyushu) - and three bay coasts of the industrial megalopolises - Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe. A significant increase in DNA damage was observed after the exposure to sea water fr om Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe, but not from Hachinohe and Nakatsu. These r esults suggested the utility of the alkaline SCG assay with shellfish gill cells for monitoring sea water genotoxicity. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sc ience B.V.