Home – Home – Jornals – Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2019 number 3

Harmful potential of bulk bottom sediments (BS) of the Yenisei River was estimated with Allium test. Sediment samples were collected in ten sites at about 100-km stretch of the middle reaches of the Yenisei affected by urban activity of the city of Krasnoyarsk and industrial plants. The samples of sediments differed considerably in concentration of potentially toxic substances (heavy metals, artificial radionuclides and organic pollutants), nutrients and physical properties. Average length of root of onion was considered as indicator of general toxicity, mitotic index - as indicator of cytotoxicity, and percent of ana-telophase cells in the root apices carrying abnormal chromosomes - as indicator of genotoxicity. Both stimulation and inhibition of indicator endpoints was revealed on sediment samples of the Yenisei relatively to control (artificial sediments). Increased genotoxicity was recorded on the sediments sample, contaminated with mixture of organic and chemical toxins. Significant positive correlation of percent of abnormal cells and concentration of copper and petrochemicals in sediment samples was revealed. Extremely strong reactions of onion endpoints to the quality of BS were not revealed, probably due to relatively low level of contamination of the sediment samples. This is in agreement with the results of chemical analyses. Based on the results of the testing we can conclude that the endpoints of the Allium test a re sensitive enough to the quality of BS of the Yenisei River and can be used for their biotesting.