Use of the Comet Assay to Evaluate Pesticide Toxicity on Non-Target Microalgae

Abstract

Aquatic environments are often contaminated with numerous organic and inorganic compounds. More than 90% of the applied load of pesticides is dispersed in the environment, reaching non-target species of these aquatic systems. Several of these compounds are reported to be capable of interacting with the DNA of living cells and therefore cause genotoxic effects. The assessment of genotoxic potential in surface water is one of the main tasks of environmental monitoring for the control of pollution. Alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis, also known as the comet assay, is a valuable technique which allows detection of DNA damage at single-cell level and provides a unique opportunity to investigate intercellular differences. The potential genotoxicity of herbicides on non-target freshwater microalgae using the comet assay was studied. Taking into account the results obtained, comet assay provides a sensitive and rapid system for measuring primary DNA damage in microalgae which could be an important aspect of environmental genotoxicity monitoring in surface waters.