The LAEG conducts research on the areas of ecotoxicological risk assessment of substances including dyes, nanomaterial and pesticides. Also develops new protocols for acute and chronic toxicity with aquatic organisms and genotoxicity tests. The staff includes specialized technicians and the laboratory has a laboratory quality program implemented.
We participate in international projects like NORMAN NETWORK and SOLUTIONS and have strong collaborations with several laboratories and universities from Brazil s (LQA-UNICAMP, UNIFESP-Diadema, FCF-USP SP) and from other countries (UFZ, Heriot-Watt, College of Textiles-NCSU, KAROLINSKA INSTITUTE, LENHA-UNIVERSITÉ DE LYON)
We perform several toxicity tests with freshwater and marine organisms and mutagenicity assays:
Freshwater organisms
- Acute and chronic toxicity tests with Daphnia similis
- Chronic test with com Raphidocelis subcapitata
- Acute toxicity test with Danio rerio (OECD 236, 212)
Marine organisms
- Acute toxicity test with the amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis
Parhyale hawaiensis is an epibenthic marine amphipod with circumtropical distribution in intertidal regions. It is used as a model for research in evolutionary and developmental biology. The LAEG research group has developed and consolidated several protocols using P. hawaiensis as a test organism in ecotoxicology.
Articles published by LAEG on use as a test organism
dos Santos, A., & Umbuzeiro, G. de A. (2023). Proposal of a chronic toxicity test using the tropical epibenthic amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 194(July), 115375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115375
dos Santos, A., Botelho, M. T., Joviano, W. R., Gomes, V., da Silva, J. R. M. C., & de Aragão Umbuzeiro, G. (2023). Characterization of hemocytes from the marine amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis (Dana 1853): Setting the basis for immunotoxicological studies. Invertebrate Biology, 142(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/ivb.12394
dos Santos, A., Botelho, M. T., Vannuci-Silva, M., Artal, M. C., Vacchi, F. I., Magalhães, G. R., Gomes, V., Henry, T. B., & Umbuzeiro, G. de A. (2022). The amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis as a promising model in ecotoxicology. Chemosphere, 307(August), 135959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135959
Botelho, M. T., Passos, M. J. de A. R. C., Trevizani, T. H., Figueira, R. C. L., Umbuzeiro, G. de A., & Gomes, V. (2022). Genotoxic effects of silver nanoparticles on a tropical marine amphipod via feeding exposure. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, 881(July), 503527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mrgentox.2022.503527
dos Santos, A., Vannuci-Silva, M., Vendemiatti, J. A. de S., Artal, M. C., Silva, B. F. da, Zanoni, M. V. B., & Umbuzeiro, G. de A. (2022). Measuring concentrations of a dye in the hemolymph of a marine amphipod: Development of a protocol for exposure assessment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 175(October 2021), 113376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113376
Diehl, O. J., Assano, P. K., da Costa, T. R. G., Oliveira, R., Marques-Souza, H., & Umbuzeiro, G. de A. (2021). Antenna regeneration as an ecotoxicological endpoint in a marine amphipod: a proof of concept using dimethyl sulfoxide and diflubenzuron. Ecotoxicology, 30(4), 751–755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-021-02395-5
Artal, M. C., Pereira, K. D., Luchessi, A. D., Okura, V. K., Henry, T. B., Marques-Souza, H., & de Aragão Umbuzeiro, G. (2020). Transcriptome analysis in Parhyale hawaiensis reveal sex-specific responses to AgNP and AgCl exposure. Environmental Pollution, 260, 113963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.113963
Artal, M. C., dos Santos, A., Dornelas, L. L., Vannuci-Silva, M., Vacchi, F. I., Albuquerque, A. F., Lotufo, G. R., & Umbuzeiro, G. A. (2019). Toxicity responses for marine invertebrate species of brazilian occurrence. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Contamination, 14(1), 15–25. https://doi.org/10.5132/eec.2019.01.02
Vacchi, F. I., Santos, A. dos, Artal, M. C., Magalhães, G. R., Vendemiatti, J. A. de S., & Umbuzeiro, G. de A. (2019). Parhyale hawaiensis as a promising alternative organism for monitoring acute toxicity of sediments under the influence of submarine outfalls. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 149(April), 110658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110658
Vannuci-Silva, M., Da Silva, E. D. N., Artal, M. C., Dos Santos, A., Silva, F., Umbuzeiro, G. D. A., & Cadore, S. (2018). GFAAS and ICP-MS determination of Ag and Cu in the haemolymph of a millimetric marine crustacean (Parhyale hawaiensis) as a tool in ecotoxicology. Atomic Spectroscopy, 39(2), 67–74.
Artal, M. C., dos Santos, A., Henry, T. B., & Umbuzeiro, G. A. (2018). Development of an acute toxicity test with the tropical marine amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis. Ecotoxicology, 27(2), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-017-1875-3
Botelho, M. T, & Umbuzeiro, G. A. (2024). Designing and applying a methodology to assess sperm cell viability and DNA damage in a model amphipod. Science of Total Environment, 950, 175318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175318
Articles published by LAEG on the application in ecotoxicology studies
Farias, N. O. de, Albuquerque, A. F. de, dos Santos, A., Almeida, G. C. F., Freeman, H. S., Räisänen, R., & Umbuzeiro, G. de A. (2023). Is natural better? An ecotoxicity study of anthraquinone dyes. Chemosphere, 343(September), 140174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140174
Botelho, M. T., Militão, G. G., Brinkmann, M., & Umbuzeiro, G. de A. (2023). Toxicity and mutagenicity studies of 6PPD-quinone in a marine invertebrate species and bacteria. Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 64(6), 335–341. https://doi.org/10.1002/em.22560
Magalhães, G. R., Militão, G. F. G., de Farias, N. O., de Albuquerque, A. F., Botelho, M. T., Räisänen, R., Freeman, H. S., & de Aragão Umbuzeiro, G. (2023). Acryloyl esters of emodin for waterless dyeing and toxicological studies. Coloration Technology, June, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/cote.12731
Mussagy, C. U., dos Santos, A., F. G. Militão, G., Carolina Silva de Oliveira, J., de A. Umbuzeiro, G., Peixoto, G., Pessoa Jr., A., & Santos-Ebinuma, V. C. (2023). Phaffia rhodozyma biorefinery: A sustainable pathway to obtain natural pigments and production of methane biogas as renewable fuel. Chemical Engineering Journal, 473(June), 145350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.145350
Williams, T. N., Vacchi, F. I., dos Santos, A., Aragão Umbuzeiro, G. de, & Freeman, H. S. (2022). Metal-complexed monoazo dyes as sustainable permanent hair dye alternatives—Toxicological and durability properties. Dyes and Pigments, 197(september), 109819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dyepig.2021.109819
Williams, T. N., Vacchi, F. I., Santos, A. dos, Szymczyk, M., Umbuzeiro, G. de A., & Freeman, H. S. (2022). Evaluation of the Toxicological and Color Properties of Anionic Hydrophobic Monoazo Dyes for Sustainable Human Hair Coloration. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 10(8), 2593–2601. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c05702
Vannuci-Silva, M., Cadore, S., Henry, T. B., & Umbuzeiro, G. (2019). Higher silver bioavailability after nanoparticle dietary exposure in marine amphipods. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 38(4), 806–810. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4359
de Farias, N. O., Pires, M. S. G., Moreira, B. J., dos Santos, A., Freeman, H. S.,Toukola, P. , Albuquerque, A. F., Räisänen, R. , Umbuzeiro, G. A. (2025). Natural indigo toxicity for aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 290, 117606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117606
Videos about the organism
Aula prática – Teste de toxicidade aguda com Parhyale hawaiensis
P. hawaiensis como um modelo em ecotoxicologia
(Participação da Amanda dos Santos no 1º Encontro da Pós-Graduação da USP – “Elas fazem ciência”)
Coleta de hemolinfa de P. hawaiensis
Genotoxicity tests
- Salmonella/microsome (Ames test)
- Miniaturized Salmonella/microsome (microplate agar, MPA)
- Comet assay / Micronucleus
