AHH activity, tissue dose and DNA damage in different tissues of the scallop Chlamys farreri exposed to benzo[a]pyrene

A collaborative study was performed on scallops (Chlamys farreri) exposed to 0.5, 3 and 10 μg/L benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) for 20 days. The levels of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity, B[a]P accumulation and DNA strand break were assayed in the gill and digestive gland. Results showed that AHH activity and B[a]P accumulation were significantly related to B[a]P dose. AHH activity was induced and then became stable gradually. B[a]P accumulation increased first and showed an incoming plateau. DNA strand break levels in the 0.5 and 3 μg/L B[a]P groups remained high and significantly different from control values until day 6, followed by a reduction in the gill and no recovery in the digestive gland. The 10 μg/L B[a]P groups remained significantly lower than control until the end. These results suggested that the application of comprehensive indices may give information on the actual exposure of organisms to pollutants, and also information on toxic effects.