Application of the 'Tradescantia micronucleus' Assay for the Genetic Evaluation of Chemical Mixtures in Soil and Aqueous Media.

摘要

Genotoxic evaluation of nine binary and one tertiary mixtures of arsenic trioxide, dieldrin, and lead tetraacetate were performed using the Tradescantia micronucleus (Trad-MN) assay. The chemical mixtures were either (1) mixed into soil, and chemical exposure to the target cells was through the roots of intact plants grown in the soil or (2) through stem cuttings in which the inflorescences were treated with an aqueous solution of the test chemicals. Clastogenic responses were obtained for six out of the ten chemical mixtures, irrespective of the treatment conditions although relatively higher frequencies of MN were observed in plants exposed to the test chemicals in soil. The clastogenicity of the chemical mixtures was modified by the ratio of the individual chemical in a particular mixture. The results of this study suggest that in addition to its utility for monitoring the presence of clastogens in ambient air and water, the Trad-MN assay also be used as a reliable test system for detecting the levels of clastogens in soil.