Genotoxicity Assessment of Coastal Water in Cavite using Perna viridis through the Comet Assay

Abstract

Organisms in polluted areas may be exposed to a variety of anthropogenic pollutants disposed to the aquatic ecosystem and this can be particularly destructive. DNA damage can lead to mutation and apoptosis and can definitely affect aquatic organisms as well as human beings, being the final consumer. The degree of genotoxicity of the three sites in Cavite was assessed using Perna viridis via comet assay. A significant difference on the tail moment value between the positive control and the three sites were observed. The study sites showed a certain degree of DNA damage with Cavite City being the highest. There was a positive correlation between the tail moment and the concentration of lead in sediments but no correlation was seen in cadmium and copper. The observed differences in genotoxicity between the sites can be due to the high concentration of lead together with low levels of dissolved oxygen and a much acidic pH of the sediments in the sample sites. Yet, other factors may also contribute to the observed genotoxicity since it is an open ecosystem. These only suggest that pollutants in coastal waters can induce DNA damage to organisms. Furthermore, these results further prove the value of the comet assay and mussel haemocytes as a biomonitoring tool.