Available online at www.tshe.org/ea/index.html EnvironmentAsia AvailableEnvironmentAsia online at www.tshe.org/EA 9(1) (2016) 1-8 The international journal published by the Thai Society of Higher Education Institutes on Environment EnvironmentAsia DOI 2 (2009) 50-54 Genotoxicity Assessment of Mercuric Chloride in the Marine Fish Therapon jaruba A Ten-Year Investigation on Ozone and It Precursors at Nagarajan Nagarani, ArumugamKemaman, Kuppusamy Terengganu, Kumaraguru, Malaysia Velmurugan Janaki Devi and Chandrasekaran Archana Devi Marzuki Ismail a, Samsuri Abdullah a, Fong Si Yuen a and Nurul Adyani Ghazali b Center for Marine and Coastal Studies, School of Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, a School of Marine ScienceMadurai and Environment, Kamaraj University, Universiti MalaysiaMadurai-625021, Terengganu, India 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia b School of Ocean Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Abstract Terengganu, Malaysia The aim of the present study was to standardize and to assess the predictive value of the cytogenetic analysis byAbstract Micronucleus (MN) test in fish erythrocytes as a biomarker for marine environmental contamination. Micronucleus frequency baseline in erythrocytes was evaluated in and genotoxic potential of a common chemical was determined in fish10 experimentally years of continuous exposed monitoring in aquarium data under (2000-2010) controlled conditions. from Air QualityFish (Therapon Division, jaruba Malaysian) were exposed Department for 96 of hrsEnvironment to a single areheavy used metal to investigate(mercuric chloride). the relationships Chromosomal between damage ambient was determinedlevels of ozone as micronuclei (O3), nitric frequency oxide (NO) in fishand erythrocytes.nitrogen dioxide Significant (NO2) asincrease a function in MN of frequency NOx, in Kemaman,was observed Malaysia, in erythrocytes wherewith of fish the exposeddominant to sourcesmercuric of chloride.ozone precursors Concentration are industrialof 0.25 ppm activities induced theand highest road MNtraffic. frequency In addition, (2.95 micronucleated variation of oxidant cells/1000 OX cells (O3 compared and NO2) toconcentration 1 MNcell/1000 with cellsNOx wasin control also examined. animals). The The analyses study revealed established that amicronucleus weak linear relationshiptest, as an indexbetween of cumulativeO3 and NOx, exposure,signifying appearsthat Kemaman to be a area sensitive is not modelNOx sensitive to evaluate but possiblygenotoxic VOC-sensitive compounds inarea. fish The under level controlled of [OX] isconditions. influenced by NOx-independent and NOx-dependent contributions. The former is due to regional background O3 concentration while the Keywords:latter correlates genotoxicity; to the local mercuric level of chloride;primary pollution. micronucleus The measured concentrations of the pollutants varied as a function of time. The analyses also show that the diurnal cycle of ground level ozone concentration has a mid-day peak while lower concentration occurs at night time. 1.Keywords: Introduction ground level ozone; solar radiation intensity; diurnallaboratory cycle; oxidant; and field Kemaman conditions. In 2006 Soumendra et al., made an attempt to detect genetic biomarkers In India, about 200 tons of mercury and its in two fish species, Labeo bata and Oreochromis 1. Introduction primary and secondary pollutants, as well as ambient compounds are introduced into the environment mossambica, by MN and binucleate (BN) meteorological factors. Owing to the chemical coupling annually as effluents from industries (Saffi, 1981). erythrocytes in the gill and kidney erythrocytes Ozone is a secondary pollutant resulting from of O and NO , the levels of O and NO are inextricably Mercuric chloride has been used in agriculture as a exposed3 to xthermal power3 plant 2discharge at photochemical reaction of variety of natural and linked. The changes in the local level of O and NO will fungicide, in medicine as a topical antiseptic and Titagarh Thermal Power Plant, Kolkata,3 India. 2 anthropogenic precursors; mainly volatile organic lead to an increasing background level. In this study, disinfectant, and in chemistry as an intermediate in The present study was conducted to determine compound (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NO ). ten years ambient concentration data of O , NO, NO , the production of other mercury compounds. Thex the acute genotoxicity of the heavy metal compound3 2 The formation of ground level ozone depends on the and NO were used for the investigation of the hourly contamination of aquatic ecosystems by heavy HgCl inx static systems. Mercuric chloride is toxic, intensity of solar radiation, the absolute concentration variation2 of NO, NO , NO and O . The variation of metals and pesticides has gained increasing attention solvable in water hence2 it canx penetrate3 the aquatic of NO and VOCs, and the ratio of NO to VOCs. oxidant OX (O and NO ) concentration with NO was in recentx decades. Chronic exposurex to and animals. Mutagenic3 studies2 with native fish speciesx Ground level ozone comes from two major sources also investigated, contributing to a better understanding accumulation of these chemicals in aquatic biota represent an important effort in determining the namely regional background ozone primarily from of the atmospheric sources of OX at this Kemaman area. can result in tissue burdens that produce adverse potential effects of toxic agents. This study was the influx of ozone from the stratosphere and in effects not only in the directly exposed organisms, carried out to evaluate the use of the micronucleus situ local ozone production mainly via precursors, 2. Materials and Methods but also in human beings. test (MN) for the estimation of aquatic pollution such as NO and VOC, emitted from variety of Fish providesx a suitable model for monitoring using marine edible fish under lab conditions. anthropogenic and natural sources (Clapp and 2.1. Site description aquatic genotoxicity and wastewater quality Jenkin, 2001). Ozone at high concentrations could because of its ability to metabolize xenobiotics and 2. Materials and methods induce several adverse effects on human health and Kemaman (4o12’ N, 103o18’ E) is situated in the accumulated pollutants. A micronucleus assay has the environment (Kampa and Castanas, 2007). Terengganu State, a developing Malaysian town been used successfully in several species (De Flora, 2.1. Sample Collection The concentration of photochemical oxidant (O and flanked by Kerteh Petrochemical Industrial Area et al., 1993, Al-Sabti and Metcalfe, 1995). The3 NO ) can be decreased by controlling their precursors; at the north and the industrializing and urbanizing micronucleus2 (MN) test has been developed The fish species selected for the present study Nitrogen Oxides, NO (NO and NO ) and VOCs (Geng Gebeng Industrial Area at the south (Fig. 1). In this together with DNA-unwindingx 2 assays as was collected from Pudhumadam coast of Gulf of et al., 2007). However, the efficiency of emission area, there are dominant sources of ozone precursors perspective methods for mass monitoring of Mannar, Southeast Coast of India. Therapon control also depends on the relationship between related to industrial activities and road traffic. clastogenicity and genotoxicity in fish and mussels jarbua belongs to the order Perciformes of the (Dailianis et al., 2003). family Theraponidae. The fish species, Therapon The MN tests have been successfully used as jarbua (6-6.3 cm in length and 4-4.25 g in weight) a measure of genotoxic stress in fish, under both was selected for the detection of genotoxic effect M. Ismail et al. / EnvironmentAsia 9(1) (2016) 1-8 Figure 1. Location of air quality monitoring station in Kemaman 2.2. Source of data 2.2. Source of data ozone measurement. The concentration of ozone precursors, NOx (NO and NO2) were determined using In this study, the concentration of O3, NO, NO2, and NOx data consisting of 120 months from In thisJanuary study, 2000the concentration to December 2010of O3 ,(excluding NO, NO2 ,year the 2008 chemiluminescene due to the unavailable measurement of the dataprincipal, for that couple and NOx particulardata consisting year) ofacquired 120 months from thefrom Air January Quality Diviwithsion, state-of-the-art Malaysian Department microprocessor of Environment technology for for 2000 to DecemberSekolah Rendah 2010 Bukit(excluding Kuang year Station 2008 (Station due ID:monitoring CA 0002) highlocated and in Kemamanmedium levels District, of one nitrogen of the to the unavailableearliest operational of the data stations for that in particular Malaysia. year) The monitoringoxides (Teledyne network Modelswas installed 200A). operated For quality and control acquired maintainedfrom the Air by QualityAlam Sekitar Division, Malaysia Malaysian Sdn. Bh dand (ASMA) quality under assurance concession of the by air the monitoring Department data, of all DepartmentEnvironment of Environment Malaysia for (Afroz Sekolah et al., Rendah2003). Tropospheric monitoring ozone instruments concen trationswere calibrated data was regularlyrecorded byby Bukit Kuangusing Station a system (Station based onID: the CA Beer-Lambert 0002) located law forASMA. measuring For gas low monitoring ranges of such ozone as ozonein ambient and nitrogen air in Kemamanmanufactured District, one by Teledyneof the earliest Technologies operational Incorporated oxides, (Modelthe instruments 400E). A were 254 nmscheduled UV light to signalhave