Assessment of dna damage in onion root cells exposed to contaminated rural water sources using rapd markers

摘要

Recent advances in molecular biology have led to the development of a number of molecular marker assays for DNA variation analysis in eco-genotoxicology. In this study, the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay was used to assess the level of DNA damage in root tip meristems of Allium cepa L. cultivated in contaminated drinking water samples obtained from lakes and boreholes in two rural communities in Edo State of Nigeria. Compared to the control (tap water), the drinking water samples in the rural settlements caused greater changes in the RAPD patterns. DNA polymorphism/damage became evident as the presence and/or absence of DNA fragments in the test samples. The number of disappearing bands in profiles increased from 33 of dry season lake water to 45 in the wet season compared to total bands in control. The results showed that it is possible that the detected DNA polymorphism could lead to genotoxic effects in the treated plants due to chemical substances present in drinking water samples. Consequently, the use of water from both the lakes and boreholes for domestic purposes could pose health hazard to humans and the environment.