Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis - Legacy Tobacco ...

182 1989 EMS Abstracts 527
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http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/clb93d00/pdf
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IN SITU DETECTION OF GENOTOXICITY - POSSIBILITIES AND MEASUREMENTS C .B .S .R . S harma
Salim Ali School of~cology, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry 605 001, India
±i- -
Three approaches exist to monitor the genotoxicity in the polluted ecosystems - (a)
to screen the plants and animals in the habitats for genotoxic symptoms in mitotic and/
or meiotic tissues, (b) to monitor impacts on specific endpoints in the standard test
systems maintained in situ and (c) to test the in situ habitat samples like water, soil
and sediments in the laboratory for genotoxicity i-n the experimental systems . While
reviewing these possibilities, measurements are presented to suggest that some herbaceous
terrestrial weeds, aquatic plants, ipsect populations and crop systems have
potential to reveal the in situ genotoxicity of the habitats - (1) Of the 30 weeds
screened from two habitaTs periodically inundated by polymer factory effluents and
sewage Croton, Justicia, Cassia, Parthenium, Cleome and Solanum have shown significant
meiotic karyotoxicity 0 .~3-9: an po len aterllity 1- ..) . (2) Eichornia,
inhabiting ponds variously polluted by effluents from homesteads, dyestu f and polymer
factories and washates from transport systems,has shown mitotic karyotoxicity in
significant frequencies (1 .2-12 .6%) (3) _Chroto on~u_s inhabiting the ground cover
around sewage ponds revealed highly signi ica~tic karyotoxicity (3 .49-10 .2%) .
(4) Meristem Assays and progeny tests involving Allium and Hordeum irrigated by sewage
and polluted groundwater or maintained in the sewage slud9e- Fiave all shown genotoxic
symptoms to various degrees . Some of the weeds of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
and local insects can therefore be sensitive indicators of the ubiquitious genotoxins
in our ecosystems .
USE OF NATIVE PLANTS AND INSECTS AS INDICATORS OF in situ CENOTOXICITY . Sharma,
C .B .S .R ., Panneerselvam, N ., Arumikkili K ., Raiendran M ., Meenakahi N .D ., Gowri R .,
Salim Ali School of Ecology, Pondirherry University, Pondicherry 605 001 .
Plants and insects inhabiting the polluted areas in the cities of Vishakhapatnam,
Madurai, Coimbatore and Mysore of Southern India are assayed for genotoxicity . The
pollution was due to polymer factory effluents in Vishakhapatnam and sewage in
others . The results are as follows . In Vishakhapatnam and Madurai 30 herbs are
acreened for meiotic aberrations and Pollen fertility . Twelve of these have shown
significant effects - The frequencies of abnormal cells ranged between 0 .87 to 23 .9A
and sterility between 12% to 95% . Among the more sensitive plants ares Croton
bon landianum, Juaticia sim lex, Cassia tore, Terosia ur urea, Cleome v scosa,
ar hen um ystero o us a~n ?olanum ind~m . Tn t~Fe Eic orn a ro~aystem, !~
frequency of karyotoxicity atT~iahakhapatnsm ranged between ~3 end 12 .6, at
Coimbatore between 3 .2 and 8 .5, at Madurai between 3 .0 and 8 .9 and at Mysore between
2 .1 and 5 .8 . In situ analysis of the insect Chroto nus asusaurei inhabiting two
sewage ponds in Combatore, revealed meiotic ary~ty ranging between 3 .49 and
10 .20 at one pond and between 6 .99 and 9 .0 in the other . These studies suggest that
in situ inhabitants can indicate habitat genotoxicity especlally the water hyacinth,
rl-chernia and the grasshopper, Chrotogonus .
WATER HYACINTH (Eichornia crasaipes) IS AN EXCELLENT in situ MONITOR OF AQUATIC
GENOTOXINS . C .B .S .R . Sharma, Salim Ali School of Ecology, Pondicherry University,
Pondicherry 605 001, India .
The ubiquitous occurrence of water hyacinth (Eichornia crasaipes) prompted us
to explore the possibility of its use as a monitor of aquatic genotoxins . Herewith
reported are the results from five cities of India where Eichornia's responses are
monitored from aquatic habitats with different histories . The cities are : Vishakhapatnam,
Madurai, Coimbatore, Mysore and Pondicherry . The assay is restricted to
root systems . The endpoints scored aree clastogeny (fragments, micronuclei and
bridges) and turbagsay(vagrancy and micronuclei) . The highest karyotoxic frequency
was obtained in the populations inhabiting waters contaminated by a polymer factory
effluents at Vishakhapatnam (3 .5*0 .25 to 12 .6*0 .64) followed by automobile washates
plus sewage at Coimbatore (3 .2*0 .16 to 8 .5*0 .78) ; dye stuff effluents plus sewage at
Madurai (3 .0 :0 .22 to 8 .9s0 .56)g untreated sewage at Mysore (2 .1*0 .19 to 5 .8*1 .1)
and roadside runoffs at Pondicherry (1 .2*0 .12 to 2 .6*0 .5) . The background frequency
has ranged between 0 .89*0 .09 to 1 .02 :0 .15 . Thus the complex mixtures in the water
bodies causing karyotoxicity have in them effluents from homesteads, dyestuff and
polymer factories, washates from the traffic-busy roads and automobile workshops
suggesting propensity of genotoxic exposure in the concerned human populations .
These preliminary studies, suggest that Eichornis can serve aa an excellent in situ
biomonitor of habitat genotoxins .
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