Brown trout and European minnow as target species for genotoxicity tests: differential sensitivity to heavy metals.

Brown trout (Salmo trutta) and European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) were evaluated as target species to carry out genotoxicity tests. Assessment was made of their relative abundance in wild; their distribution areas; and their sensitivity to heavy metals, intraperitoneally exposing individuals of both species to a low dose (1.7 mg/kg body weight) of different heavy metals. Micronuclei were scored in renal erythrocytes 24 h after treatment. Cadmium chloride significantly induced micronuclei in both species whereas mercury nitrate induced micronuclei increase only in brown trout. Brown trout is abundant, present in all studied freshwater ecosystems, and more sensitive to toxic heavy metals than minnow; therefore it is presented as a target species for studies on heavy metal genotoxicity. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.