Some Approaches to Evaluation of the Mutagenic Effect of Industrial Waste on the Environment

The mutagenic effect of an industrial enterprise (tungsten and molybdenum factory) was studied in three stages. At the first stage, the putative impact of the industrial sewage of the factory was studied using three plant test systems: Crepis capillaris L., Tradescantia sp. clone 02, and Glycine max (L.) Merill. It was found that the sewage increased the mutation level by a factor of 11–45. At the second stage, the rate of mutation was studied in the native vegetation growing on solid waste piles of the enterprise. It exceeded the corresponding index of uncontaminated areas by a factor of 2.0–4.5. At the third stage, the rates of children with birth defects and miscarriages were studied in the vicinity of the enterprise. The rate of miscarriages proved to be higher than the value averaged over the autonomous republic by a factor of 2.4. No change in the rate of birth defects was detected.__________Translated from Genetika, Vol. 41, No. 6, 2005, pp. 753–758.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by N. Reutova, Vorobyeva, T. Reutova.