Genotoxicity assessment of three industrial effluents using the Allium cepa bioassay

Abstract

The Allium cepa assay was employed, in conjunction with physico-chemical analysis, to investigate the potential cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of three industrial effluents (soap, beverage and paint) from the southeast of Nigeria. For in situ monitoring of cytotoxicity level, inhibition of mitotic division was investigated and for genotoxicity evaluation, chromosomal aberration assay was carried out. The results showed certain sample-constituents of the wastewaters (e.g. pH, turbidity) to be at concentrations beyond the maximum permissible limits required by international regulatory authorities. On the basis of the 72 h effective concentration (72 h EC 50 ), the paint effluent was the most toxic while the beverage effluent was the least toxic. The mean root lengths of A. cepa exposed to different concentrations of the industrial effluents, when compared to the control, were shown by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to be significantly (p<0.05) concentration dependent. The three industrial effluents were observed to induce chromosomal aberrations, laggards and sticky chromosomes being the most frequently seen. The findings show that a combination of physico-chemical analysis and genotoxicity assay is effective in assessing industrial effluents for the environmental monitoring of pollutants.

Mitotic response of Allium cepa L. to toxicity of pharmaceutical effluents

“…With the aid of a filter paper, the surplus stain was removed and a cover slip was carefully placed to prevent air bubbles being trapped under. The edges of the cover slip were then sealed with a nail polish to prevent preparation from drying out by the heat of the microscope (Olorunfemi et al, 2015;Ibeh and Umeham (2018). Five different slides were prepared per each treatment combination and…”

Improving the assessment of polluted sites using an integrated bio-physico-chemical monitoring framework

“…This approach requires the organisms' response to external stressors to be directly studied and quantified (Zwart, 1995). The measurements of an organisms' physiological, morphological and biomolecular responses, such as lethal concentration, survivorship (Bonnail, Macías and Osta, 2019), biomass, growth (Hybská et al, 2020), damage to DNA and other genetic markers (Vieira et al, 2019), phytotoxicity, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, mutagenity (Cavusoglu et al, 2010;Bilal et al, 2016;Artico, Migita and Menezes, 2018;Olusola and Solomon, 2018) and locomotion responses (Salánki et al, 2003) have been utilised in previous research. Experiments may be conducted in bioassays / mesocosms designed on simplifications of the natural environment, to control for the complexities of real-world field conditions.…”

Chromosomal Abnormalities in Allium cepa Induced by Treated Textile Effluents: Spatial and Temporal Variations

“…However, once these treated effluents are released to the natural environment, their effects on the feral organisms are rarely monitored and recorded. Some compounds including organic chemicals and heavy metals even at very low concentrations can impose chronic and acute effects on the organisms living in the natural environment [ 5 – 8 ]. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the environmental effects and possible health effects imposed on the feral organisms by the released treated effluents.…”

“…Therefore, it is very important to monitor the environmental effects and possible health effects imposed on the feral organisms by the released treated effluents. This monitoring can be conducted by measuring the physical and chemical water quality parameters of the released environment over a certain period of time or along a spatial gradient from the discharge point [ 5 , 8 ]. In addition to the water quality parameters, the measurements on biological parameters can also provide valuable information about the effects of these released treated effluents on the biological and ecological quality of the ecosystem [ 7 , 9 ].…”

“…Among the biological assays, plant based bioassays are widely practiced by many researchers [ 8 , 9 ]. These plant based bioassays are rapid, inexpensive, do not require elaborate laboratory facilities, and have a wide range of genetic endpoints.…”