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Genetic effects observed in tetrads of Tradescantia induced by radon
R Villalobos-Pietrini1, A R Flores-Márquez, M A Meneses
1Laboratorios de Citogenética y Mutagénesis Ambientales, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán 04510 D.F., Mexico.
Abstract:
Inflorescences of Tradescantia clone 4430 were exposed to different concentrations of radon (Rn) gas (0.85, 12.10, 36.50 and 98.16 kBq/m3) from plants placed in an acrylic chamber that received radon from a container with pitchblende (containing uranium mineral). The exposure time was 24 h, afterwards the plants were left for 6 h in water and constantly aerated. Positive control plants were irradiated with gamma rays (0.8 Gy) and negative control plants received ambient air only (the background measurement had a mean of 0.38 kBq/m3). Micronuclei (MCN) in the tetrads induced by alpha particles emitted from Rn were tabulated and a linear concentration response was obtained. The potency of radon to induce MCN from the slope of the regression line was 0.13 MCN/kBq/m3 of alpha-radiation. Radon could reach the anthers by diffusion through the aerial spaces within the buds.