Clastogenecity evaluation of water of Lake Sevan (Armenia) using Tradescantia micronucleus assay.

The clastogenic effects of water samples in seven locations of Lake Sevan (Armenia) with the application of Trad-MCN (micronuclei) bioassay using Tradescantia (clone 02) were investigated. A significant increase in the frequency of micronuclei in tetrads of pollen microspores and tetrads with micronuclei exposed to the test samples compared to the control has been revealed. A multivariate analysis indicated linkage between the frequencies of occurrence of micronuclei in the cells and Ni and Co ions. The results were compared with the endpoints of another Tradescantia-based test system (stamen hair mutation test) performed on the same water samples and generation of the plant: occurrences of micronuclei in sporogenic cells coincided with that of non-surviving stamen hair.

Assessment of mutagenicity of water from Lake Sevan, Armenia with application of Tradescantia (clone 02).

For many decades water resources in Armenia have been affected by anthropogenic activity, therefore, a regular bioindication of genotoxic effects of the water bodies is desirable. The genotoxicity of water samples collected from different parts of Lake Sevan were assessed by means of Trad-SHM (stamen hair mutation) assay using Tradescantia (clone 02). Here we report a significant increase in the frequency of somatic mutations and morphological changes in the Tradescantia inflorescences exposed to the water samples compared to the control. The somatic mutations (recessive mutation and white mutation events) were mostly linked to the concentration of Al, Ni, As, Co and Pb in Artanish, Tsapatakh and Karchaghbyur, Noradus, Martuni and Litchk, while morphological changes (non-surviving hairs) were related to Co level in Tsapatakh and Karchaghbyur. The results obtained show that Lake Sevan contains substances which may cause genotoxicity and teratogenicity in Tradescantia and probably also in aquatic animals. The results also show that Trad-SHM assay can be used for monitoring natural resources.

In situ monitoring of the ambient air around the chloroprene rubber industrial plant using the Tradescantia-stamen-hair mutation assay.

The city of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, has been one of the heavily polluted cities since the earlier USSR era. A Chloroprene Rubber Industrial Plant has been the major contributor of air pollution in this city. The first attempt has been undertaken to detect the mutagenic effect of the ambient air around this industrial complex using the Tradescantia-stamen-hair-mutation (Trad-SHM) assay. Tradescantia clone 02 was used for this study. Pots of Tradescantia plants were exposed to ambient air in 10 different locations around the industrial establishment during the months of May and June, 1991 and 1992. Three series of in situ monitoring experiments were carried out. In the first series, sites numbers 1 through 4 were located in the industrial complex, and the second series, sites numbers 5 through 7 were located 1.0-1.3 km away from the Rubber Plant and the third series, sites numbers 8 though 10 were situated 1.5 km from the chemical plant and the monitoring plants were elevated at 5, 13, and 32 m above ground. A control group of plants were grown in a greenhouse about 13 km away from the polluted air from the chemical plant. Results of these two consecutive year's study show significantly elevated high levels of pink mutation events (PME) over the control at sites 1, 2, and 4 in the first series of the study. Positive responses were observed at all sites in the second series of the study. Only site 8 (June 1991) in the third series of the study was significantly higher in PME over the control.