A mutagenicity investigation of sediment from İzmir Inner Bay using Ames genotoxicity assay

İzmir Bay is one of the most important ecosystems of Aegean Region. Impacts of environmental pollution in the aquatic environments, especially impacts of pollution with mutagenic and carcinogenic substances on human health is an important area of research. Thus, it is required to incorporate short-term biological research methods to the molecular chemical analysis methods. By means of Ames’s assay, it is possible to determine mutagenic potential of several chemicals, environmental pollutants, sediments, and waste waters. After the treatment facility was established in İzmir Bay in 2000, no mutagenicity studies were carried out in the sediment. Ames’s mutagenicity assay without S9 fraction using TA98 and TA100 strains of Salmonella typhimurium was done at four different concentrations (125 μg, 250 μg, 375 μg, and 500 μg) in the sediment samples from six stations on İzmir Inner Bay in order to detect presence of chemicals that may cause mutagenic effects. Based on the results of Ames’s assay, it was found that especially Turan Area (Station 3, on which shipyard is located) among 6 stations on İzmir Bay was under mutagenic and toxic effect and Bostanlı Area (Station 6) was under intense toxic effect. Turan Area was under the influence of environmental pollutants that may cause frameshift mutations. According to the present study, İzmir Inner Bay was contaminated by mutagenic and toxic substances.