RESUMO
The ability of carbofuran to induce micronuclei in mouse bone marrow cells was studied. Different routes of application for carbofuran were tested to cover the different possibilities for human exposure to the pesticide. The different routes of administration of carbofuran caused toxicity to bone marrow indicated as significant increase in the percentage of polychromatic erythrocytes [PEs] over that of the control. Carbofuran at a dose of 0.025 mg kg-1 body weight affected the percentage of PEs with micronuclei significantly. It reached 2.6% after i.p. injection compared with 0.7% for the control and 2.8% after oral treatment by gavage compared with 0.5% for the control. Feeding mice for three months with Vicia faba and soya bean seeds treated with carbofuran at 15 mg kg-1 and stored for 30 weeks caused a significant increase in the percentage of micronucleated PEs. This was attributed to the penetration of carbofuran inside the seeds during the storage period. The results revealed a clastogenic potential of carbofuran and its residues, in stored seeds, in mouse bone marrow