Chlorpyrifos is a widely used insecticide of organophosphate group, which causes severe toxicological effects in non target aquatic organisms especially in fish. In the present study the genotoxic effects of sublethal concentrations of chlorpyrifos were observed in the erythrocytes and gill cells of Labeo rohita (commonly known as rohu) using the Alkaline Single-Cell Gel Electrophoresis (Comet) assay. Effects of chlorpyrifos on the behavior of the fish were also investigated. The 96 h LC50 value of chlorpyrifos, estimated by Trimmed Spearman-Karber (TSK) in static bioassay, was found to be 442.8 µg/L. On the basis of LC50 value, the fish were exposed to three sublethal concentrations of chlorpyrifos (SL-I ∼221.4 µg/L, SL- II ∼110.7 µg/L and SL-III ∼73.8 µg/L) for 96 h. Blood and gill samples were collected at every 24 h and were subjected to the Comet assay. The observed DNA damage was concentration dependent and time dependent and those levels of DNA damage in between the tested concentrations and times were significantly different (p < 0.01). It was also found that the gill cells are more sensitive to chlorpyrifos, though; it revealed more DNA damage as compared to the erythrocytes of fish. Fish exposed to different concentrations of chlorpyrifos showed different neurotoxic behavioral responses. It was concluded that chlorpyrifos is a genotoxic and neurotoxic insecticide causing DNA damage and neurotoxic effects in Labeo rohita.
