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(W/EH012) Dose and time dependent relationships of DNA adduct formation in Perna viridis exposed to benzo[a]pyrene. Ching, Eric1, Lam, Paul1, 1 ABSTRACT- The dose and time dependent relationships of DNA adduct formation in Perna viridis exposed to benzo[a]pyrene were examined. The green-lipped mussel, Perna viridis is widely distributed in tropical/subtropical Asia, and is commonly used for biological monitoring. In the present study, green-lipped mussels collected from a clean site were exposed to 0, 0.3, 3 and 30ug l-1 (nominal concentrations) B[a]P under laboratory conditions over a period of 24 days. Mussels were collected on day 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24, and the levels of DNA adducts in their hepatopancreas tissues monitored by 32P-postlabelling technique. Increasing B[a]P concentrations resulted in increasing DNA adduct levels after 3-6 days of exposure. However, this pattern of dose-related increase in adduct levels of all treatment groups gradually returned to the control levels from day 12 to day 24. These results indicate that a better understanding of the complex interactions between exposure level and duration is crucially important before DNA adduct levels in P. viridis can be used as an effective biomarkers for monitoring genotoxicants in marine waters. Key words: DNA adducts, benzo[a]pyrene, Perna viridis |
