Pesticide contamination of drinking water supplies has increased over the past decade. A major concern is how exposure to combinations of low levels of pesticides, especially herbicides, could affect public health. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to determine the clastogenic potential of herbicide interaction on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The cells were exposed to atrazine, simazine, cyanazine, and all possible combinations of these chemicals for 48 hr. Two concentrations were used for each sample: the U.S. EPA maximum contamination level (MCL) and the highest contamination level found in Illinois water supplies. Nuclei were isolated from the cells and analyzed by flow cytometry. The effects of clastogenicity were measured by the coefficient of variation (CV) of the G1 peak of whole cells and the change in CV of the largest chromosome in the flow karyotype. At both levels tested, atrazine caused chromosomal damage to the CHO cells. Simazine was observed to induce whole-cell clastogenicity but not flow karyotype damage. Cyanazine did not induce any measurable chromosomal damage in either analysis. Each of the herbicides, although all three were triazines, had different effects with respect to chromosome damage as measured by flow cytometry. CHO cells treated with a combination of atrazine and simazine, or atrazine and cyanazine, were observed to have whole-cell and flow karyotype damage. This damage was, however, equal to or less severe than the damage caused by either atrazine or simazine alone. No synergy was observed. When all three herbicides were combined, three of the four possible combinations gave no observable clastogenic response.ImagesFigure 1Figure 2
Pesticide contamination of drinking water supplies has increased over the past decade. A major concern is how exposure to combinations of low levels of pesticides, especially herbicides, could affect public health. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to determine the dastogenic potential of herbicide interaction on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The cells were exposed to atrazine, simazine, cyanazine, and all possible combinations of these chemicals for 48 hr. Two concentrations were used for each sample: the U.S. EPA maximum contmination level (MCL) and the highest contamination level found in Illinois water supplies. Nuclei were isolated from the cells and analyzed by flow cytometry. The efects of dastogenicity were measured by the coefficient of variation (CV) of the Gi peak of whole cells and the change in CV of the largest chromosome in the flow karyotype. At both levels tested, atrazine caused chromosomal damage to the CHO cells. Simazine was observed to induce whole-ell clastogenicity but not flow karyotype damage. Cyanazine did not induce any measurable chromosomal damage in either analysis. Each of the herbicides, although all three were triazines, had di&Terent efcts with respect to chromosome damage as measured by flow cytometry. CHO ceLls treated with a combination of atrazine and simazile, or atrazine and cyanazine, were observed to have whole-cell and flow karyotype damage. This damage was, however, equal to or less severe than the damage caused by either atrazine or simazine alone. No synergy was observed. When all three herbicides were combined, three of the four possible combinations gave no observable dastogenic response.
Pesticide contamination of water supplies is becoming a major problem. Very little research has been performed on the effects that this contamination will have on the environment or on human health. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to determine the whole cell clastogenic potential of herbicide interaction on Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. The cells were exposed to atrazine, simazine, cyanazine, and all possible combinations of these chemicals for 48 hrs. Two concentrations were used in each sample: 1) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contamination level (MCL) and 2) the highest contamination level found in Illinois water supplies. The nuclei were then isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry. The effects of clastogenicity were measured by the coefficient of varition (CV) of the Gl peak. Flow cytometry is a sensitive method of measuring the whole cell clastogenicity. At both levels tested atrazine, alone and mixed with cyanazine, showed whole cell clastogenicity. Atrazine also showed whole cell clastogenicity when mixed with simazine at the MCL. Simazine showed whole cell clastogenicity at the maximum level found in water. The CV's of cyanazine alone showed no clastogenesis under short-term exposure. As research continues in this area, long-term health risks may be able to be evaluated.
/CURRENT DETECTION of various pesticides in the nation'sV^xgroundwater is raising concerns for public health. The agricultural practices being used today have increased the farmer's reliance on various pesticides. This use of pesticides is having deleterious effects on the environment and has resulted in partial contamination of the nation's water supplies.
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