Frequência de anormalidades nucleares em espécies de peixes do baixo rio São Francisco

Abstract

The lower São Francisco region runs through cities in the states of Alagoas and Sergipe, being of great importance for the development of both states. Anthropogenic activities such as the use of pesticides on plantations along the river, the dumping of untreated sewage from cities on its margins, and changes in flows directly affect this ecosystem. These activities contribute to the increase of xenobiotics in this environment, reflecting on the quality of the water and exposed organisms, leading to the reduction of the diversity of species, their reproductive and immune capacity, and even altering the genetic material. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the health of this water body. The present study used three species of fish: the pacu (Metynnis maculatus), the pirambeba (Serrasalmus brandtii) and the piau-três-pintas (Megaleporinus obtusidens) collected in three municipalities of the Lower São Francisco during the 6th Scientific Expedition as bioindicators, and by using the Micronucleus Test, the erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ANEs) were analyzed. The results showed that the municipality of Propriá (7.51%) had the highest frequency of ANEs, followed by Piranhas (6.27%) and Piaçabuçu (2.76%) with the lowest frequency. In the analysis of micronuclei (MN), the municipality of Piranhas (1.73%) had the highest frequency. Among the species, Metynnis maculatus (pacu) stood out with the highest frequency of abnormalities and micronuclei, being significantly different from the other species. Serrasalmus brandtii (pirambeba) presented the second highest frequency of abnormalities, while Megaleporinus obtusidens (piau-três-pintas) presented the second highest frequency of micronuclei. Therefore, the use of fish as bioindicators of the water quality of the São Francisco River is of great importance and can serve for the implementation of public policies with the aim of improving the health of the river, the fish, and the populations that depend on this resource both for subsistence, transportation, tourism, among others.