Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Atrazine and Ametrine Induce Micronuclei Formation and Nuclear Abnormalities in Erythrocytes of Fish

A rapid and sensitive method using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry triple quadrupole direct aqueous injection for analysis of atrazine and ametrine herbicides in surface waters was developed. According to the validation method, water samples from six different locations in the Piracicaba River were collected monthly from February 2011 to January 2012 and injected into a liquid chromatographer/dual mass spectrometer without the need for sample extraction. The method was validated and shown to be precise and accurate; limits of detection and quantification were 0.07 and 0.10 µg L −1 for atrazine and 0.09 and 0.14 µg L −1 for ametrine. During the sampling period, concentrations of atrazine ranged from 0.11 to 1.92 µg L −1 and ametrine from 0.25 to 1.44 µg L −1 . After analysis of the herbicides, Danio rerio were exposed a range of concentrations found in the river water to check the induction of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities (NAs) in erythrocytes. Concentrations of atrazine and ametrine >1.0 and 1.5 µg L −1 , respectively, induced MN formation in D. rerio . Ametrine was shown to be more genotoxic to D. rerio because a greater incidence of NAs was observed compared with atrazine. Therefore, environmentally relevant concentrations of atrazine and ametrine found in the Piracicaba River are dangerous to the aquatic biota.