Assessment of genotoxicity and depuration of anthracene in the juvenile coastal fish Trachinotus carolinus using the comet assay

Abstract

In the environment, anthracene is characterized as being persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic to aquatic organisms. Biotransformation of xenobiotic substances, such as anthracene, produces reactive oxygen species that may induce DNA strand breaks. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the DNA damage in juvenile T. carolinus exposed to different concentrations (8, 16 and 32 µg.L-1) of anthracene for 24 h in the dark then subsequently allowed to depurate in clean water for different periods of time (48, 96 or 144 h) using the comet assay. Our results show that anthracene is genotoxic to T. carolinus and that DNA damage was dose- and depuration/time- dependent. Anthracenegenotoxicity was observed in all experimental concentrations. Depuration seemed to be more efficient in fish exposed to thelowest anthracene concentration and maintained in clean water for 96 h.