DNA damage induced by copper on erythrocytes of gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata and mollusk Scapharca inaequivalvis

Heavy metal pollution in rivers and its impact on aquatic ecosystems is a dynamic process. Fish are ideal indicators of heavy metal contamination in aquatic systems because they occupy different trophic levels and are of different sizes and ages. In particular, copper is an essential trace metal for living organisms and it is present in all natural waters and sediments. In this paper, we report data on the effect of copper on DNA erythrocytes from the teleost gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata and the bivalve mollusk Scapharca inaequivalvis. In particular, the effect of 0.1 ppm of Cu+2 on the nucleated erythrocytes was analyzed using the “comet assay.” This test is a promising tool for estimation of DNA damage at the single cell level. The data obtained show that the in vivo treatment with 0.1 ppm of copper increased the susceptibility of DNA to be damaged. Exposure to Cu+2 produces a more evident effect on Sparus aurata, as all three comet parameters significantly increased (tail length, tail intensity, and tail moment). The higher comet parameters measured in Scapharca inaequivalvis compared to Sparus aurata could be due to the difference in stability of the respective hemoglobins. The comet assay could represent a useful test to evaluate the biological consequences of environmental contamination by metals on marine organisms.