Occurrence, genotoxicity and ecotoxicological risk of dyes in the aquatic environment.

Author(s)

Francine Inforçato Vacchi

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ)
• Defense date: 2016-08-12

Examining board members

Gisela de Aragão Umbuzeiro; Clarice Maria Rispoli Botta; Vicente Gomes; Ernani Pinto Junior; Deborah Arnsdorff Roubicek

• Advisor: Gisela de Aragão Umbuzeiro

Abstract

Dyes are used in the coloration of different substrates, including paper, leather and plastics, but the most important use is on textiles and 1 to 5% of these dyes might be lost into the environment. Azo dyes are the most important class, accounting for over 50% of all commercial dyes, and this class has been the most studied. In general, azo dyes are toxic to aquatic organisms and some types of dyes are more toxic than others. But although these compounds as well as their reduced/chlorinated transformation products can be found in aquatic ecosystems, no mutagenicity data are available until now in aquatic organisms. This remark remains of value, as well, regarding genotoxicity potential of such dyes towards aquatic organisms. Many studies have demonstrated that DNA damage measurement represents a very sensitive biomarker of exposure in aquatic species that can be studied both in vivo and in vitro using for example fish cell lines. The objectives of this work were evaluate the occurrence of disperse dyes in environmental samples; evaluate the mutagenicity of this samples using the Salmonella/microsome assay with strains TA98 and YG1041; evaluate the genotoxicity using the comet assay with fish cell lines RTL-W1. HPLC-MS/MS was used to verify the occurrence of dyes in samples of Piracicaba River upstream and downstream the discharge of Quilombo River and Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) effluent, located in São Paulo State, Brazil. Six dyes were detected in samples of water and effluents. Disperse Red 1 dye was detected in 8 of 16 samples, but its contribution for the mutagenicity was low. Disperse Blue 373 and Disperse Violet 93 were the major contributors for the mutagenicity found in the samples. The genotoxicity of Piracicaba River, evaluated with Salmonella/microsome assay and comet assay, increased after the discharges of Quilombo River and the effluent of WWTP, showing a contribution of this discharges on the river genotoxicity. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/13344-7 - Occurrence, genotoxicity and ecotoxicological risk of dyes in the aquatic environment.
• Grantee: Francine Inforçato Vacchi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate