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(W/EH027) DNA adducts as indicators of genotoxic exposure in resident and transplanted mussels, Mytilus edulis, from Icelandic coastal sites. Ericson, Gunilla1, Skarphédinsdóttir, Halldóra2, Dalla Zuanna, Lisa1, 3, Svavarsson, Jörundur4, 1 2 3 4 ABSTRACT- Mussels have for many years been used in monitoring programmes to determine body burdens of toxic environmental chemicals. Recently, the interest concerning biological effect markers in these organisms has increased in order to predict the impact of pollutants on the organisms themselves. We collected resident mussels at sites with supposed different amounts of pollution along the south-western coast of Iceland. DNA adducts were analysed by 32P-postlabelling in gills and digestive gland as a marker of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Additionally, mussels were transplanted from a reference site to Reykjavík harbour for six weeks during both winter and summer for comparison. Highest adduct levels were found in gill tissue from resident mussels collected in Reykjavík harbour during winter. Adduct levels in both tissue types from mussels collected at the reference site were below or very close to the detection limit during winter, but seemed to increase a little during summer. No adducts were detected in digestive gland, and very low levels in gills, from mussels transplanted during winter. In mussels transplanted during summer adduct levels increased, but were still much lower compared to resident mussels from Reykjavík. Mussels from sites with supposed intermediate pollution had intermediate levels of DNA adducts in gills but did not differ from Reykjavík harbour in digestive gland. This study shows that 32P-postlabelling analysis of DNA adducts is sensitive enough to be used on mussels from relatively pristine areas and indicates that seasonal variation in adduct levels probably occur. Key words: DNA adducts, Mytilus edulis, genotoxicity, biomonitoring |
