Genotoxic and mutagenic evaluation in Eisenia foetida annelids exposed to iron ore tailings from the region of Brumadinho, MG, Brazil

Hélio Elias da Silva; Marcelino Benvindo-Souza; Daniela de Melo E Silva; Nelson Roberto Antoniosi Filho

doi:10.1016/j.etap.2023.104247

Genotoxic and mutagenic evaluation in Eisenia foetida annelids exposed to iron ore tailings from the region of Brumadinho, MG, Brazil

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2023 Sep:102:104247. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104247. Epub 2023 Aug 15.

Authors

Hélio Elias da Silva¹, Marcelino Benvindo-Souza², Daniela de Melo E Silva³, Nelson Roberto Antoniosi Filho⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Extraction and Separation Methods, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. Electronic address: helioeliasdasilva@yahoo.com.br.
² Postgraduate Program in Natural Resources of the Cerrado at the State University of Goiás, Anápolis, Brazil; Laboratory of Mutagenesis, Department of Genetics. Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
³ Laboratory of Mutagenesis, Department of Genetics. Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
⁴ Laboratory of Extraction and Separation Methods, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.

PMID: 37586653
DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104247

Abstract

Soils that have a disproportion of metallic elements due to anthropic activities endanger the terrestrial fauna. This study evaluated whether earthworms (Eisenia foetida) exposed to ore tailings from Brumadinho region presented a higher frequency of genotoxic and mutagenic damages than annelids from a reference area (control). The animals were exposed to substrates containing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% iron mining waste. The results indicated increased DNA damage (p < 0.05), detected by the comet assay at 25% and 50%. There was a three-fold increase in micronuclei in animals on the substrates with the highest concentrations (75% and 100%) [F = 3.095; p = 0.02]. The earthworms lost weight as the percentage of mining waste increased. We concluded that E. foetida presented DNA damage in the contaminated soils of Brumadinho. However, more research is fundamental, once the environmental disaster in Brumadinho was one of the biggest mining catastrophe in Brazil.

Keywords: DNA damage; Earthworms; Heavy metals; Micronucleus; Mining.

MeSH terms

Animals
Brazil
DNA Damage
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Iron / toxicity
Mutagens / toxicity
Oligochaeta* / genetics
Soil

Substances

Mutagens
Iron
Soil