The comet assay, a sensitive biomarker of water quality improvement following adoption of beneficial agricultural practices?

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5711

Language of the publication
English
Date
2023-07-07
Type
Article
Author(s)
  • Gendron, Andrée D.
  • Lacaze, Émilie
  • Taranu, Zofia E.
  • Gouge, Rebecca
  • Larbi‐Youcef, Yasmina
  • Houde, Magali
  • André, Chantal
  • Gagné, François
  • Triffault‐Bouchet, Gaëlle
  • Girouxe, Isabelle
Publisher
Wiley

Abstract

Numerous actions have been undertaken by farmers to attenuate the impact of agricultural activities on aquatic ecosystems. The identification of biomarkers that respond quickly to water quality improvement could facilitate the assessment of adopted alternative practices and help maintain mobilization among stakeholders. We evaluated the potential of the comet assay, a biomarker of genotoxic effects, using a freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata, as a model animal. The frequency of DNA damage was assessed in hemocytes of mussels collected from a pristine habitat and caged for 8 weeks in the Pot au Beurre River, a tributary of the fluvial Lake St.-Pierre (Quebec, Canada) impacted by agricultural activities. We found that the level of DNA damage naturally induced in mussel hemocytes was low and showed very limited variations over time. Compared with these baseline levels and to laboratory controls, we observed a doubling in DNA alterations in mussels exposed to agricultural runoff in the third branch of the Pot au Beurre River. The genotoxic response was significantly lower in mussels caged in the first branch of the Pot au Beurre River, where longer stretches of shoreline have been restored as buffer strips. Glyphosate, mesotrione, imazethapyr, and metolachlor were the main discriminant pesticides between these two branches. Metolachlor was found in sufficient concentrations to induce DNA damage, but it is more likely that the observed genotoxicity was the result of a “cocktail effect,” that is, the cumulative contribution of coexisting genotoxicants including the above-mentioned herbicides and ingredients in their formulation. Our findings suggest that the comet assay is a sensitive tool for the early detection of changes in water toxicity following the adoption of agricultural beneficial practices.

Subject

  • Biological diversity,
  • Nature and environment,
  • Agriculture,
  • Science and technology

Rights

Pagination

2055-2283

Peer review

Yes

Open access level

Gold

Identifiers

ISSN
1552-8618
0730-7268

Article

Journal title
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Journal volume
42
Journal issue
10
Accepted date
2023-07-06
Submitted date
2023-02-10

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Collection(s)

Water

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