Assessment in situ of genotoxicity in tadpoles and adults of frog Hypsiboas cordobae (Barrio 1965) inhabiting aquatic ecosystems associated to fluorite mine

POLLO, FAVIO, E.; GRENAT, PABLO R.; OTERO, MANUEL A.; SALAS, NANCY E.; MARTINO, ADOLFO L.

ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 133 p. 466 - 474

0147-6513

Non-lethalbiological techniques such as blood biomarkers have gained attention due totheir value as early signals of anthropic effects of contamination representingsignificant tools to evaluate ecosystems health. We evaluate and characterize in situ genotoxicity of water samplescollected from aquatic ecosystems around a fluorite mine using amphibian frogs Hypsiboas cordobae as bioindicatorspecies complemented with 16 physicochemical parameters. Four stationsassociated with fluorite mine sampling were sampled: a stream running ongranitic rock with natural high fluorite content; two streams both running onmetamorphic rock with low fluorite content; and an artificial decantation pondcontaining sediments produced by fluorite flotation process with high variationin physicochemical parameters. We analyses the blood of tadpoles and adults of H. Cordobae, calculated frequencies ofmicronuclei, erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities, mitosis, immature andenucleated erythrocytes. Individuals were measured and weighed and bodycondition was calculated. The results of this study indicate that individualsof decantation pond are exposed to compounds or mixtures which are causing celldamage when compared to those that were collected of stream. Larval stage wasmore vulnerable than the adult phase and it could be related mainly to thehigher exposure time to xenobiotics, which can penetrate easily by skin, mouthand gills; additionally this site offers a reduced availability of food thanother sites. Therefore, chronic exposure to pollutants could derive indegenerative and neoplastic diseases in target organs. Moreover theseindividuals may experience reproductive and behavioral disturbances which couldlead to population decline in the long term.