Toxicology
Dr. R.F. Lee

A bioassay system using grass shrimp embryos has been developed to assess the genotoxicity ( DNA strand breaks - Comet assay) and embryotoxicity of sediments. Grass shrimp embryos taken from females collected in the local estuary are exposed to pore water from test sediments. After 24 hours of exposure, DNA strand breaks,embryo mortality and embryo development (hatching) is determined. The assay has been used at several estuarine sites contaminated with genotoxic agents, e.g. mercury, toxaphene, chromium.