Tossicologia ambientale

The “Environmental mutagenesis” laboratory performs genotoxicity assays on environmental matrices as water, soil and particulate matter to evaluate the mutagenicity of substances widespread in the environment. These tests can be useful in the environmental impact assessment and for the genotoxic evaluation both of single sources of pollution, as incinerators, landfills, industrial plants and of widespread sources like vehicular traffic. 

The laboratory manage a Regional mutagenicity monitoring network of fine Particulate Matter (PM_2.5), coordinating PM sampling, carrying out the mutagenicity tests, analysing data and writing all the reports.

Collaborations:

• "Microinquinanti organici” Arpae Emilia-Romagna, Sezione di Ravenna (Supervisor: Ivan Scaroni), PAHs and Nitro-PAHs analysis
• "Genetica” - (Supervisor: Annamaria Buschini) Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità Ambientale - Università degli Studi di Parma.

Mutagenicity assays performed:

• Salmonella reverse mutation assay (Ames test): detects damage on single or few nucleotide bases of DNA (point mutations). It’s widely employed in all the world in genotoxicology screening, both in industrial and in environmental studies, because it’s a good cancer predictive and is quick and easy to perform.
• Comet assay, performed in human cell lines, detects both single and double DNA strand breaks. To assess the genotoxicity of environmental complex mixtures, Comet assays is widely used, too. 
• Micronucleus assay, performed in human cell lines, detects breakage and/or loss of chromosomes, it’s an indirect indicator of chromosomal aberrations, and for this it’s considered cancer predictive.

Environmental Mutagenesis laboratory

Via Spalato, 2 - 43125 Parma

Tel. 0521/976.111 - fax 0521/976.112, e-mail: sezpr@arpae.it

Francesca Cassoni 
Supervisor

Clara Bocchi 
Statistical analysis and Lab quality.

Regional network team:

Piacenza: Anna Callegari, Anna Lodigiani, Manuela Bottazzi, Adriana Eleuteri

Parma: Francesca Cassoni, Clara Bocchi, Giancarlo Pinto, Teresa Concari

Bologna: Cristina Volta, Luca Malaguti, Marco Trepiccione

Ferrara: Enrica Canossa, M.Rita Mingozi, Marco Tosi

Rimini: Marco Zamagni, Federica Bernardi, Daniele Foscoli, Cinzia Para, Flavio Rovere, Roberto Sartini