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DOI : 10.17693/yunusae.v15i21956.235760 Viewed : 2820 - Downloaded : 1554 Karasu River, which is the only river in the Erzurum plain, is the source of the river Euphrates (Eastern Anatolia of Turkey). The river is in a serious environmental situation as a result of pollution by agricultural and industrial sewage and domestic discharges. In this study, the genotoxic effects of toxic metals were investigated on the fish species (Barbus plebejus) collected from contaminated site of the Karasu River, in comparison with fish from a non-polluted reference site. Some heavy metals (Cd, Al, As, Pb, Cu, Mn, Cr) concentrations in surface water of the river were determined. The condition factor (CF) was taken as a general biomarker of the health of the fish, and genotoxicity assays such as micronucleus (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities (NA) were carried out on the fish studied. MN and NA such as kidney-shaped nucleus, notched nucleus, binucleated, lobed nucleus and blebbed nucleus were assessed in peripheral blood erythrocytes, gill epithelial cells and liver cells of the fish.A significant variation in CF values associated with a significant elevation in MN and NA frequencies was observed in fish collected from the polluted sites compared with those from the reference site.In conclusion, high concentrations of heavy metals have a potential genotoxic effects, and the toxicity is possibly related to industrial, agricultural and domestic activities. Keywords : Biomonitoring, Freshwater fish, Toxicity