Awba reservoir serves the purpose of water supply in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Recent reports on pollution status have focused on toxicological implication of contaminants in this reservoir. But none is on genetic and systemic toxicity of the water in fish. We investigated cytogenotoxicity of Awba Dam water (ADW) on Clarias gariepinus using piscine micronucleus (MN) assay. Haematological and histopathological changes were also evaluated. Bi-monthly composite water samples were collected from the reservoir from July to October, 2018. The water was used to cultivate juvenile C. gariepinus in the laboratory for 1–4 months, and tap water was used as the negative control. Peripheral blood erythrocytes from the caudal veins of C. gariepinus were used for the monthly MN assessment. There was significant (p < 0.05) induction of MN and other erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities in C. gariepinus within the period of study. There were variations in the haematological indices and pathological alterations in sections of the gill, liver and kidney of C. gariepinus. The levels of some heavy metals in ADW were above standard permissible limits and might have contributed to the observed cytogenetic and systemic disruptions. These findings may be used by the concerned authorities to evolve management strategies for the reservoir’s health and biologic resources.

This study represents the first attempt to assess genotoxicity and cytotoxicity effects in herring (Clupea harengus membras), flounder (Platichthys flesus), and cod (Gadus morhua callarias) caught at 47 study stations, located close to chemical munition dumpsites in the Gotland Basin, the Baltic Sea. Herring sampled from stations located in the center of chemical munition dumpsites exhibited the highest levels of micronuclei (MN) and total genotoxicity (ΣGentox), which is defined as the sum of frequencies of such nuclear abnormalities as micronuclei, nuclear buds, nuclear buds on the filament, and bi-nucleated erythrocytes with nucleoplasmic bridges. Exceptionally high and high ΣGentox risks were determined for flounder (89.47%), herring (79.31%), and cod (50%) caught at the stations located close to the chemical munition dumpsites.

The aim of this review was to evaluate if micronucleus assay in oral exfoliated cells is a suitable tool for biomonitoring children exposed to environmental pollutants. Through the electronic databases PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science, all published studies until April 2021 that examined the relationship between exposure to environmental pollutants and micronucleus frequency in oral cells were searched. All relevant articles using a combination of the following keywords—“children,” “micronucleus,” “oral cells,” and “environmental pollution”—were considered. A total of 20 papers met the criteria for inclusion in the systematic review. The results regarding the cytogenetic damage induced by environmental pollutants are conflicting. Some authors have demonstrated that environmental pollution induces mutagenesis in oral cells while others did not. Following the parameters of the Project for Effective Public Health Practices (EPHPP) and after extensive reading of all the articles included, a total of 12 articles had moderate and strong scores and 8 had a classification considered weak. Taken together, this review was able to demonstrate the association between micronucleus frequency and exposure to environmental pollutants in oral exfoliated cells of children.

Acrylamide (ACR) is a widespread industrial chemical with recognized adverse effects not only to humans but to other organisms in the environment as well. In the present study, the ecotoxicological effects of dietary exposure to sublethal concentration (1/20 LC₅₀) of ACR on the land snail, Theba pisana after 2 weeks of exposure and 1-week recovery with respect to oxidative stress parameters; lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), cytogenetic parameter; deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content, as well as immunological parameters; cell death, phagocytosis, lysosomal membrane stability (LMS), lectins, superoxide anion (O₂⁻) generation, phenoloxidase (PO), peroxidase (POD), and hemocyanin (Hc) were examined. The results showed that ACR significantly increased LPO level and the activity of CAT and GST, cell death, and Hc level, whereas a significant decline in DNA and GSH contents, phagocytic activity, LMS, lectins, O₂⁻ generation, POD, and PO activities compared to the controls after 2-week exposure was observed. After 1-week recovery, most of the tested parameters in exposed snails were permanent and not reversible to the control levels. This study suggests that the tested multiple parameters of T. pisana species may be used as biomarkers of ACR exposure. Besides, T. pisana snails could be used as a good sentinel organism for ACR exposure in pollution monitoring studies.

Glutathione S-transferases are important detoxification enzymes involved in the metabolism of endogenous as well as exogenous compounds. Individuals differ in metabolic capacity due to inherited genetic variations. Due to the polymorphism exhibited by GSTT1 and GSTM1 that results in the complete loss of function, the present study was aimed towards the determination of the frequency distribution of GSTT1 and GSTM1 in agricultural workers in Punjab, India. The study aimed to investigate their contribution in susceptibility to increased disease risk. A total of 513 subjects were included in this study, out of which 250 were agriculture workers and 263 were non-exposed occupationally. GSTT1 and GSTM1 null-genotype distribution was analyzed through multiplex-PCR method. Complete gene deletion in either of the genes was strongly associated with an increased risk (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.3–2.6; p < 0.0008) of DNA/cytogenetic damage, cancer, infertility, and many other serious health effects. Therefore, homozygous deletion in GSTT1 or GSTM1 could play a modulatory role in health of workers with long-term exposure to pesticides.

The widespread use of rare earth elements (REEs) in a number of technological applications raises unanswered questions related to REE-associated adverse effects. We have previously reported on the multiple impact of some REEs on the early life stages of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The present investigation was to evaluate REE toxicity to early life stages in two unrelated sea urchin species, Sphaerechinus granularis and Arbacia lixula. The comparative toxicities were tested of seven REEs, namely yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, samarium, europium and gadolinium as chloride salts at concentrations ranging from 10⁻⁷ to 10⁻⁴ M. The evaluated endpoints included developmental defects and cytogenetic anomalies in REE-exposed embryos/larvae, and decreased fertilization success and offspring damage following sperm exposure. The results showed different toxicity patterns for individual REEs that varied according to test species and to treatment protocol, thus showing toxicity scaling for the different REEs. Further, the observed effects were compared with those reported for P. lividus either following embryo or sperm exposures. S. granularis showed a significantly higher sensitivity both compared to A. lixula and to P. lividus. This study provides clear-cut evidence for distinct toxicity patterns among a series of REEs. The differences in species sensitivity at micromolar REE levels may warrant investigations on species susceptibility to impacts along polluted coasts.

The evaluation of formaldehyde (FD) exposure in beauty salons, due to the use of hair straightening products, and its relation with genotoxicity biomarkers was performed in this study. Regardless of official recommendations, the inappropriate use of homemade hair creams has became a popular practice in Brazil, and high formaldehyde content in the “progressive straightening” creams can contain mutagens that could increase the incidence of neoplasia in those people who use them. Damage to DNA was assessed by conducting a micronuclei test (MNT) on buccal cells and the comet assay on heparinized venous blood samples. A total of 50 volunteers were recruited at six different beauty salons (labeled A to F). At two salons that used products that did not contain FD (salons D and E), environmental FD concentrations were 0.04 and 0.02 ppm. In contrast, the products used at salons A, B, C, and F contained 5.7, 2.61, 5.9, and 5.79 % of FD, and these salons had environmental FD concentrations of 0.07, 0.14, 0.16, and 0.14 ppm, respectively. Comparison of the beauty salon workers from each of the six beauty salons revealed significant differences in urinary formic acid (FA) concentration before exposure (p = 0.016), urinary FA after exposure (p = 0.004), variation in FA concentration before and after exposure (p = 0.018), environmental FD concentration (p < 0.001), cytogenetic damage detected by the comet assay according to both damage index (p < 0.001) and frequency of damage (p < 0.001), and for karyorrhexis only according to the MNT (p = 0.001).

Biomonitoring offers a valuable tool to estimate the genetic risk as of exposure to genotoxic agents. Here, we intend to assess the potential cytogenetic damage related with occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by evaluating the genetic damages in exfoliated buccal epithelial cells of foundry workers via counting micronucleus (MNs) and other nuclear abnormalities (NAs). This was a cross-sectional study and all study subjects were male . Exfoliated buccal mucosal cells were obtained from 100 subjects involved in either foundry molding or melting processes, and 100 controls matched for sex, age, and smoking from the area of Coimbatore city, Southern India. For each individual, 2000 exfoliated buccal cells were analyzed. Significantly, there was a higher frequency of MN in the exposed workers than in the controls (P < 0.05). Smoking was associated with the increased frequencies of micronuclei and NAs in the buccal epithelium of both the control and the exposed groups. Smoking represented significant factors in terms of increasing the production of MN when the control and the exposed groups were compared (P < 0.05). The results specify that buccal cells of foundry workers display increased levels of genotoxicity and these biomarker responses may be related to the increased cancer risk. These results conclude that the studied individuals are at a risk group and they require periodical biological monitoring and proper care which is essential for them.

There is an increasing attempt in the world to determine the exposures of children to environmental chemicals. To analyze the genotoxic effect of air pollution, micronucleus (MN) assay was carried out in buccal epithelial cells (BECs) of children living in an urban city of Turkey. Children from two schools at urban-traffic and suburban sites were investigated in summer and winter seasons for the determination of BEC-MN frequency (per mille) and frequency of BEC with MN (per mille). The same children were also recruited for lung function measurements within a MATRA project (“Together Towards Clean Air in Eskisehir and Iskenderun”) Measured NO₂and SO₂concentrations did not exceed the European Union (EU) limit levels either in urban-traffic or suburban regions. Higher O₃concentrations were measured in the suburban site especially in the summer period. Particulate matter (PM₂.₅and PM₁₀) levels which did not differ statistically between two regions were above the EU limits in general. Although BEC-MN frequencies of children living in the suburban sites were higher in general, the difference between two regions was not significant either in the summer or winter periods. BEC-MN frequencies of the urban-traffic children were found to be significantly higher in summer period (mean ± SD, 2.68 ± 1.99) when compared to winter period (1.64 ± 1.59; p = 0.004). On the other hand, no seasonality was observed for the suburban children. Similar results have been obtained in the BEC frequency with MN in our study. In summer, BEC-MN frequencies were significantly increased with the decrease in pulmonary function levels based on forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75 % of vital capacity (FEF₂₅–₇₅ %) levels (p < 0.05). As a conclusion, children living in urban-traffic and suburban areas in the city of Eskişehir exhibited similar genotoxicity. Seasonal variation in genotoxicity may be interpreted as relatively high ozone levels and increasing time spent at outdoors in the summer.

Climate changes and anthropogenic factors are the main factors contributing to the destruction of natural ecosystems. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which wild plants adapt to UV, gamma background, and gross beta activity, as well as the possible damage that can be recorded in plants growing at different altitudes in Rila Mountain. We used physicochemical, cytogenetic, and molecular methods. Our investigations were done on the nine plant species characteristic of the ecosystems in Rila Mountain at three altitudes: 1500 m, 1782 m, and 2925 m. The registered beta activity in the plants did not depend on the altitude of the habitats. Our results showed that wild plant species differ in their tolerance to the combined effect of UV and IR radiation as well as climate factors. The genotype plays a more important role than the difference in the habitat altitude. The comet assay adapted by us for these plant species showed that the DNA of Epilobium angustifolium L. (Onagraceae) growing at 1500 m was more susceptible to damage than that of Dactylis glomerata L. (Poaceae). Both these species growing at 1782 m did not show any increase in DNA damage evaluated as the level of DNA migration. The level of DNA damage in Pedicularis orthantha Griseb. (Orobanchaceae) at 2925 m was comparable to that at a lower altitude. Regarding the formation of micronuclei, grass species were more sensitive to UV- and IR-induced DNA damage than cereals. Our data imply the existence of specific protective mechanisms developed by plants to overcome DNA damage induced by stress factors.