Cell damage in Danio rerio erythrocytes subjected to anthropized water

Abstract Several factors can lead to alterations of water quality in aquatic environments, leading to numerous consequences for the organisms that inhabit it. The water bodies located in the northwest region of Rio Grande do Sul periodically receive pollutants that may have genotoxic, cytotoxic and mutagenic properties, which affect the genetic integrity of organisms living there. This research analyzed the cytological responses of Danio rerio exposed to anthropized fresh water from the Ijuí River by the micronucleus method as well as by observing nuclear abnormalities in their erythrocytes. The data collected demonstrated higher values of erythrocytes with NA than with MN, suggesting that the cells are efficient in the repair mechanisms required when facing genotoxic substances.