| Title: | Genotoxic effects of particulate matter on larvae of a common and widespread butterfly along an urbanization gradient |
| Author(s): | Piccini I; Macri M; Gea M; Dessi L; Bonetta S; Schiliro T; Santovito A; Bonelli S; |
| Address: | "Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: irene.piccini@unito.it. Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114638 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1090-2414 (Electronic) 0147-6513 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Biodiversity is currently declining worldwide. Several threats have been identified such as habitat loss and climate change. It is unknown if and how air pollution can work in addition or in synergy to these threats, contributing to the decline of current species and/or local extinction. Few studies have investigated the effects of particulate matter (PM), the main component of air pollution, on insects, and no studies have investigated its genotoxic effects through Micronucleus assay. Butterflies play an important role in the environment, as herbivores during larval stages, and as pollinators as adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic effects of PM(10) from different sites along a gradient of population urbanization, on a common cabbage butterfly species (Pieris brassicae). PM(10) was collected from April to September in an urban (Turin, Italy), a suburban (Druento, Italy) and a mountain site (Ceresole Reale, Italy) with different urbanization levels. P. brassicae larvae (n = 218) were reared in the laboratory under controlled conditions (26 degrees C, L:D 15:9) on cabbage plants (average 9.2 days), and they were exposed to PM(10) organic extracts (20 and 40 m(3)/mL) or dimethyl sulfoxide (controls) through vaporization. After exposure, larvae were dissected and cells were used for the Micronucleus (MN) assay. Results showed that all PM extracts induced significant DNA damage in exposed larvae compared to controls, and that increasing the PM dose (from 20 to 40 m(3)/mL) increased genotoxic effects. However, we did not detect any significant differences between sites with different urbanization levels. In conclusion, PM at different concentrations induced genotoxic effects on larvae of a common butterfly species. More alarmingly, PM could work in addition to and/or in synergy with other compounds (e.g. pesticides) and, especially on species already threatened by other factors (e.g. fragmentation), thus affecting the vitality of populations, leading to local extinctions" |
| Keywords: | Animals Particulate Matter/toxicity/analysis *Butterflies Larva Urbanization DNA Damage *Air Pollutants/toxicity/analysis Air pollution Atmospheric pollution Butterfly rearing Cabbage butterfly Caterpillars Genomic damage Micronucleus assay Pm; |
| Notes: | "MedlinePiccini, Irene Macri, Manuela Gea, Marta Dessi, Luca Bonetta, Sara Schiliro, Tiziana Santovito, Alfredo Bonelli, Simona eng Netherlands 2023/02/16 Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 Mar 1; 252:114638. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114638. Epub 2023 Feb 13" |
