EnvironmentAsia AvailableAvailable online online at www.tshe.org/EA at www.tshe.org/EA The international journal published by the Thai Society of Higher Education Institutes on Environment EnvironmentAsiaEnvironmentAsia 2 5(1)(2009) (2012) 50-54 1-16 Genotoxicity Assessment of Mercuric Chloride in the Marine Fish Therapon jaruba Why Thai River Fish Occur Where They are Found Nagarajan Nagarani, Arumugam Kuppusamy Kumaraguru, Velmurugan Janaki Devi F. William H. Beamish a,b, Punnatutand Chandrasekaran Archana Devi Kangrang b, Patchara Nithirojpakdee b and Rungthip Plongsesthee b a Center Department for Marine of and Integrative Coastal Biology, Studies, College School ofof Biological Energy, Environment Science, University and Natural of Guelph, Resources, Madurai KamarajGuelph, Ontario, University, Canada, Madurai-625021, N1G2W1 India b Environmental Science Program and Centre of Excellence on Environmental Health, Toxicology and Management of Chemicals (ETM-PERDO), Faculty of Science, Burapha University, Bangsaen, Chonburi 20131, Thailand. Abstract AbstractThe aim of the present study was to standardize and to assess the predictive value of the cytogenetic analysis by Micronucleus (MN) test in fish erythrocytes as a biomarker for marine environmental contamination. Micronucleus frequency Diversity baseline of freshwater in erythrocytes fishes is was spatially evaluated heterogeneous in and genotoxic but, for potentialthe most part, of a commonthe reasons chemical remain poorlywas determined understood inin fishThailand. experimentally This review exposed attempts in toaquarium promulgate under factors controlled linking conditions. freshwater Fishfishes (Therapon and habitats, jaruba particularly) were exposed morphological, for 96 hrsphysiological to a single and heavy ecological, metal (mercuric drawing chloride).on principles Chromosomal and information damage from was elsewhere determined but withas micronuclei the focus being frequency Thailand. in fish erythrocytes. Significant increase in MN frequency was observed in erythrocytes of fish exposed to mercuricThe review identifies areas in need of improved understanding with an assurance in the future of generous dividends for the chloride.investment. Concentration of 0.25 ppm induced the highest MN frequency (2.95 micronucleated cells/1000 cells compared to 1 MNcell/1000 cells in control animals). The study revealed that micronucleus test, as an index of cumulative exposure,Keywords: appears distribution; to be morphology; a sensitive model physiology; to evaluate fish associations; genotoxic compoundsS.E. Asia in fish under controlled conditions. Keywords: genotoxicity; mercuric chloride; micronucleus 1. Introduction along with a number of extinctions through the mostly thoughtless actions of humankind in terms of intentional 1. Introduction The easy answer to the question of why fish are laboratory and field conditions. In 2006 Soumendraand non intentional plant and animal introductions as where they are found is simply because they cannot etwell al., as made through an attempt improper to waterdetect use genetic and channel biomarkers modi- live Inelsewhere. India, about This review200 tons attempts of mercury to expand and on itsthis infications. two fish species, Labeo bata and Oreochromis compoundsalthough it provides are introduced no more thaninto anthe introduction environment to a mossambica, Patterns of bydiversity MN areand generally binucleate described (BN) by annually as effluents from industries (Saffi, 1981).full understanding of the current distribution of fish in erythrocytesscales of space in and the time gill in riverand systemskidney anderythrocytes within each Mercuricthe rivers ofchloride Thailand. has It been relies used to a inconsiderable agriculture extent as a exposedby abiotic toand thermal biotic processes. power plantThis review discharge examines at fungicide,on principles in medicineand information as a topical assembled antiseptic in otherand Titagarhdiversity Thermalfrom the Powerperspective Plant, of Kolkata, ecological India. processes disinfectant,regions of the and world in chemistryand concludes as an with intermediate the identifica in - withThe implicit present recognition study was of conducted biogeographic to determine processes thetion productionof important of abiotic other factors mercury to species compounds. associations The the(Gaston acute genotoxicityand Williams, of 1996;the heavy Cornell metal and compound Lawton, in regions of central Thailand. This review is also anat- 1992). Understanding diversity includes both patterns contamination of aquatic ecosystems by heavy HgCl2 in static systems. Mercuric chloride is toxic, metalstempt toand provoke pesticides discussion has gained and, increasing ideally, enthusiasm attention solvableand mechanisms. in water Thehence former it can are penetrate well known the aquatic in some into providerecent relevantdecades. information Chronic for exposure the conservation to and of animals.regions and Mutagenic little known studies in others. with native The latter fish isspecies fraught accumulationthis magnificent of national these chemicals natural resource. in aquatic biota representwith contention. an important Reasons effortfor diversities in determining involve manythe can result Diversity in tissueof fish burdensis spatially that heterogeneous produce adverse within potentialfactors, physical, effects ofchemical toxic agents.and biological. This study For wassome effectsand among not onlygeographical in the directly regions exposed of the world.organisms, There carriedspecies outthese to factorsevaluate are, the again, use ofquite the wellmicronucleus understood butare alsodoubtless in human many beings. regions where species might well testbut for(MN) the vastfor themajority estimation they are of not.aquatic pollution existFish but fromprovides which a suitablethey are absentmodel (Beaufort,for monitoring 1951). using Globally, marine edible diversity fish tendsunder to lab vary conditions. inversely with aquaticThe reasons genotoxicity for this are many. and Thewastewater global landscape quality has latitude (Rosenzweig, 1995; Leveque et al., 1988) and becausebeen and of continues its ability to to be metabolize in transition, xenobiotics a consequence and 2.directly Materials with watershed and methods size and elevation (Swift et al., accumulated pollutants. A micronucleus assay hasof plate tectonics and other processes within the earth’s 1986). However, these patterns are sometimes far from beencrust. used Landscape successfully changes in several resulting species from (De geological Flora, 2.1.clear Sample (Love and Collection Taylor, 2004) and can be affected by etactivity al., 1993, Al-Sabti and Metcalfe, 1995). The determine where water may and may not flow. other processes such as might be initiated or accelerated micronucleusThe current global (MN) distribution test has of beenfreshwater developed fishes is by changesThe fish in species climate selected or that formight the involvepresent ratesstudy of together thought to relate with to DNA-unwinding historical land bridges assays that are now as wasevolutionary collected speciation from Pudhumadam and dispersal coast (Livingston of Gulf et of al., perspectivesubmerged beneath methods the ocean for mass surface monitoring (Golanka et ofal., Mannar, Southeast Coast of India. 1982; Hugueny, 1989). Large rivers generallyTherapon contain clastogenicity1994; Moyle and and Cech, genotoxicity 2000). Toin fishthis, and evolutionary mussels jarbuamore species belongs than to small the rivers. order Indeed Perciformes the largest of riversthe (Dailianisprocesses andet al., natural 2003). extinctions continually modify familyof the world Theraponidae. are known toThe support fish species, or to have Therapon supported speciesThe complexity MN tests andhave numbers. been successfully In recent years used distri as - jarbuavery large(6-6.3 cm in length and 4-4.25 g in weight) numbers of species. Number of species in abution measure patterns of genotoxic of fish have stress been impactedin fish, under additionally both wasthe Amazon selected River for the in Southdetection America of genotoxic is listed at effect 804 in F. William H. Beamish et al. / EnvironmentAsia 5(1) (2012) 1-16 Fish Base (Sistrom et al., 2009; Froese and Pauly, 2010) northeast area drains mostly into the Mekong River although some suggest the number may be as high as while central Thailand is drained by the Maeklong and 5000. A review of species diversity in African rivers Chao Phraya rivers and their many tributaries. Much by Livingstone et al. (1982) summarizes the trend of of the Maeklong River system in western Thailand increasing species diversity with river size as well as is within the Tanao Sri mountain range that forms the inconsistencies. Thus, species numbers in the Nile a boundary between Thailand and Myanmar. These River, 6650 km in length and >3,000,000 km² in area, systems are probably among the least disturbed lotic was reported as 115 (Greenwood, 1976) while the ecosystems in Thailand, although some have not been shorter Zaire River at 4,700 km in length but of similar spared the effects of dam construction and other forms area was said to contain 669 species. of human activity. The Peninsular watershed refers to The niche concept precludes more than a single the area south from the Isthmus of Kra and includes six species occupying the same habitat. Even the view of short river systems, four that discharge into the Gulf of many