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Mutagens in contaminated soil: a review
Paul A White1, Larry D Claxton
1Mutagenesis Section, Safe Environments Program, Health Canada, Tunney's Pasture 0803A, Ottawa, Ont., Canada K1A 0L2. paul_white@hc-sc.gc.ca
Mutation Research
|December 2, 2004
Summary
Soil contamination from toxic pollutants can pose a genotoxic hazard. This review of 1312 soil mutagenicity assessments found significant differences in potency across sites and established links between specific pollutants and mutagenic activity.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
- Genetics
Background:
- Soil contamination by toxic pollutants is a significant environmental issue.
- Certain contaminants, like wood preserving wastes and coal-tar, present a genotoxic hazard.
- Understanding soil mutagenicity is crucial for assessing environmental risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a comprehensive review of published data on soil mutagenicity.
- To analyze the genotoxic activity of contaminated soils using various bioassays.
- To identify relationships between soil contaminants and mutagenic effects.
Main Methods:
- Examined 1312 genotoxicity assessments from 118 published works.
- Utilized the Salmonella mutagenicity test (strains TA98/TA100) for bacterial mutagenicity.
- Employed plant species (e.g., Tradescantia, Vicia faba, Zea mays, Allium cepa) for assessing mutagenic activity.
- Analyzed relationships between mutagenicity data and soil contaminant concentrations (PAHs, DNP, 137Cs, metals).
Main Results:
- Significant differences in mutagenic potency were observed between industrial, urban, and rural/agricultural sites.
- Strong correlations were found between Salmonella mutagenicity and soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and dinitropyrene (DNP) concentrations.
- Plant assays, particularly Allium cepa anaphase aberration and Zea mays waxy locus mutation, showed significant responses to soil contamination.
- Tradescantia assays were less responsive to aqueous soil leachates.
- Empirical relationships were established between plant assays, 137Cs, and various soil metals (Sb, Cu, Cr, As, Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn).
- Remediation of petrochemical wastes was effective within a year, but refractory materials showed persistent mutagenic hazards.
Conclusions:
- Soil mutagenicity varies significantly based on contamination type and site.
- Specific chemical pollutants are strongly linked to genotoxic effects in soils.
- Plant bioassays provide valuable data on soil genotoxicity, with some assays being more responsive than others.
- Remediation efforts need careful consideration for refractory genotoxic materials.
- Quantifying the adverse health or ecological risks from soil mutagenicity remains challenging.