BISPHENOL S INDUCED CYTO-GENOTOXIC EVALUATION IN Eisenia fetida THROUGH MICRONUCLEUS AND COMET ASSAYS

Authors: Umar Nazir, Asia Iqbal, Muhammad Muddassir Ali, Kashif Ali, Aftab Hussain, Sumaira Abbas, Sidra Ashraf, Beenish Aftab, Hafiza Ghulam Fatima
Journal: Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences (JAPS)
ISSN: 1018-7081 (Print), 2309-8694 (Online)
Volume: 36  Issue: 4  
Year: 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.4.0082
URL: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.4.0082
Publisher: Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum

Abstract:
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 6.0pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bisphenol S (BPS), the most commonly used alternative to bisphenol A (BPA), is widely present in various consumer products. This study was designed to investigate the BPS-induced cyto-genotoxicity in <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">E. fetida</em>, an important soil indicator. Earthworms were categorized into four experimental groups and one control group (n=10/group), and exposed to different concentrations of BPS (50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/mL). </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The median lethal concentration (LC50) of BPS was calculated as 50 mg/mL using Probit analysis estimating the concentration corresponding to the 50% mortality.</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Both cytotoxic and genotoxic assays (micronucleus and comet) showed a concentration-dependent increase in micronuclei frequency and DNA damage in earthworms with significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) between the control and BPS-treated groups. At 200 mg/mL, the greatest level of DNA damage (92.0 &plusmn; 1.41) and micronuclei frequency (113.5 &plusmn; 4.24) were observed. The findings of this study showcase the potential cyto-genotoxicity and hazardous risks due to BPS exposure and emphasize the need for its cautious use and stringent regulation regarding BPS in consumer products.</span></p>

Keywords: Biomarkers, DNA Damage, Endocrine disrupter, Oxidative stress, Soil ecotoxicology