Abstract
Allium cepa assay was carried out in this study to evaluate genotoxic effects of raw and treated water samples from Perak River in Perak state, Malaysia. Samples were collected from three surface water treatment plants along the river, namely WTPP, WTPS, and WTPK. Initially, triplicates of equal size Allium cepa (onions) bulbs, 25–30 mm in diameter and average weight of 20 g, were set up in distilled water for 24 h at 20 ± 2 °C and protected from direct sunlight, to let the roots to grow. After germination of roots (0.5–1.0 cm in length), bulbs were transferred to collected water samples each for a 96-h period of exposure. The root physical deformations were observed. Genotoxicity quantification was based on mitotic index and genotoxicity level. Statistical analysis using cross-correlation function for replicates from treated water showed that root length has inverse correlation with mitotic indices (r = − 0.969) and frequencies of cell aberrations (r = − 0.976) at lag 1. Mitotic indices and cell aberrations of replicates from raw water have shown positive correlation at lag 1 (r = 0.946). Genotoxicity levels obtained were 23.4 ± 1.98 (WTPP), 26.68 ± 0.34 (WTPS), and 30.4 ± 1.13 (WTPK) for treated water and 17.8 ± 0.18 (WTPP), 37.15 ± 0.17 (WTPS), and 47.2 ± 0.48 (WTPK) for raw water. The observed cell aberrations were adherence, chromosome delay, C-metaphase, chromosome loss, chromosome bridge, chromosome breaks, binucleated cell, mini cell, and lobulated nuclei. The morphogenetic deformations obtained were likely due to genotoxic substances presence in collected water samples. Thus, water treatment in Malaysia does not remove genotoxic compounds.
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Abbreviations
- WTP:
-
water treatment plants (WTPP, WTPS, and WTPK)
- DW:
-
distilled water
- NC:
-
negative control
- H2O2 :
-
hydrogen peroxide
- PC:
-
positive control
- MI:
-
mitotic index
- CA:
-
chromosomal aberrations
- DNA:
-
deoxyribonucleic acid
- GL:
-
genotoxicity levels
- AD:
-
adherence
- CD:
-
chromosome delay
- CM:
-
C-metaphase
- CL:
-
chromosome loss
- BD:
-
chromosome bridge
- BR:
-
chromosome breaks
- BC:
-
binucleated cell
- MC:
-
mini cell
- LN:
-
lobulated nuclei
- CCF:
-
cross-correlation function
- COD:
-
chemical oxygen demand
- TOC:
-
total organic carbon
- DO:
-
dissolved oxygen
- IPU:
-
isoproturon
- CYP:
-
cypermethrin
- DEL:
-
deltamethrin
- FEN:
-
fenvalerate
- CFA:
-
coal fly ash
- TPP:
-
thermal power plant
- RF-EMF:
-
radio-frequency electromagnetic fields
- DMSO:
-
dimethyl sulfoxide
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Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia (MOHE) for providing financial supports for this study grant schemes ERGS15-8200-136 and FRGS0153AB-K10 and postgraduate scholarship under MyBrain15 for PhD studies. This paper also is a tribute to the late Associate Professor Dr Amirhossein Malakahmad (1976-2017) for his great supervision in this research.
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Malakahmad, A., Manan, T.S.B.A., Sivapalan, S. et al. Genotoxicity assessment of raw and treated water samples using Allium cepa assay: evidence from Perak River, Malaysia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 5421–5436 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0721-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0721-8