The Zebrafish Animal Model

The United States of America Environmental Protection assigned zebrafish as the animal model in determining the environmental contaminants. The ZETAX (Zebrafish Embryo Teratogenesis Assay Test) identifies morphological and functional endpoints which are similar to mammalian reproductive toxicity studies. The ZETAX has been widely used in developmental biology and toxicology, teratology, molecular genetics and neurotoxicology (Kucukoglu et al., 2013). Several advantages offered by the use of zebrafish, Danio rerio, as a model organism in developmental toxicity screening test include economic husbandry requirements and fast ex utero development. The development of zebrafish was well characterized from eggs which are transparent from fertilization

Specifically, it sought to:

1. describe the physico-chemical characteristics of the water (pH, temperature, salinity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and turbidity) and sediment (temperature) of the two rivers of La Union namely Aringay and Bauang Rivers;

2. identify heavy metals present such as Arsenic (As), Copper (Cu) and Lead (Pb) in the sediment of the two rivers;

3. assess the genotoxicity of the water and sediment and determine if there are significant differences in terms of:

3.1. Root Growth Inhibition

3.2. Mitotic Index

3.3. Chromosomal Aberrations;

4. verify the teratogenicity of the water and sediment from the rivers and determine if there are significant differences in terms of:

4.1. Percent Survival of Zebrafish Embryos

4.2. Hatching Rate

4.3. Mean Number of Melanocytes

4.4. Mean Body Length

4.5. Mean Percent Deformities

Time and Place of the Study

This study was conducted from May 2015 to March 2016 at the College of Arts and Sciences Biology Laboratory Room, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, North La Union Campus, Bacnotan, La

Heavy Metal Analysis of the sediment was performed in CRL Environmental Corporation, Clark