Role of Marine Pollutants in Impairment of DNA Integrity

In this article, we present an overview on the role of marine pollutants in impairment of DNA integrity in marine gastropods exposed to xenobiotics released from various sources into the coastal ecosystem. We provide an insight into the impact of various types of genotoxic compounds on the physiologic status of marine organisms, with specific focus on DNA integrity. DNA damage in marine gastropods was found to be highly correlated to the level of contaminants prevalent in the marine environment. DNA integrity in marine organisms was significantly affected upon exposure to genotoxicants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), persistent organic pollutants, cadmium, lead, manganese, chromium, copper, etc. The prevalence of persistent xenobiotic contaminants in the marine environment coupled to their deleterious impact on marine organisms, exemplifies the measurement of DNA integrity as a prognostic tool for marine pollution assessment, control and policy-making.