Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC as Genotoxicity Indicator of Exposure to Coal and Emissions from a Thermal Power Plant

Abstract

During coal combustion, hazardous elements are discharged that impair environmental quality. Plant cover is the first available surface for the atmospheric pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems. The aim of this study was to evaluate genotoxicity in the aqueous extract of the native plant, Baccharis trimera, exposed to coal and emissions from a thermal power plant (coal-fired power plant in Candiota, Brazil), correlating seasonality, wind tunnel predominance, and presence of inorganic elements. The presence of inorganic elements in the aerial parts of B. trimera was analyzed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectrometry, and genotoxicity was evaluated by ex vivo comet assay. The genotoxic effects of aqueous extracts of B. trimera from four sites located in the area around power plant were analyzed by comet assay in peripheral human lymphocytes. Winter samples showed greater levels of metals than summer samples. Genotoxicity was detected in B. trimera extracts collected from the region exposed to extraction and burning coal. Extracts from the site impacted by the dominant wind induced more damage to DNA than those from other sites. Based on our data, we can suggest that in winter the inorganic elements from extraction and burning of coal and carried through the wind tunnel were responsible for the genotoxicity observed in aqueous extract of B. trimera.

Comparative studies on the effect of environmental pollution on secondary metabolite contents and genotoxicity of two plants in Asir area, Saudi Arabia

“…This suggests that elevations in total phenolics and total flavonoids can be considered as stress defense mechanisms in plants against pollution. Toxic agents can gradually build up in plants because they provide the first and vast available surface for bioaccumulation of these pollutants at concentrations substantially higher than the permissible values considered safe for human use [23,24].…”

“…The exposure of humans to high levels of toxic agents constitutes a significant health risk [25]. Only a few studies on plants grown in polluted areas have been done to determine the toxic effects of pollutants [23,24]. In this study, the in vivo genotoxic potential of F. carica and S. molle grown in normal and polluted areas were investigated and compared.…”

Anthropogenic Effects on Natural Mammalian Populations: Correlation Between Telomere Length and Coal Exposure

“…Some animals that are bred in contaminated environments are directly exposed to these contaminants, but herbivores, such as the subterranean rodents analyzed in this study, can be exposed through contaminated food, as observed by Menezes et al . 31 in plants from Candiota, which had hight level of inorganic elements. Thus, these animals expose themselves to the contaminants in the soil and plants, in their microenvironment and in the atmosphere in regions with or without pollutants.…”

“…The presence of PAH was found in its coal, bottom and fly ash samples 29 , metals were detected in soil samples 30 and Zn, Ni, Cu, Cd, V and Pb were detected in the tissues of the subterranean rodent C. torquatus 23 . In addition, studies with organisms have shown DNA damage in plants ( Baccharis trimera ) 9,31 , snail ( Helix aspersa ) 10 and coal workers’ blood 30,32,33 . To our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the effects of coal and its byproducts on telomere length or DNA global methylation in tuco-tuco.

Figure 1Geographic distribution of C. torquatus , which coincides with the geographic distribution of coal reserves and power plant Candiota (modified from Fernandes et al .

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Evaluation of Toxicological Effects of an Aqueous Extract of Shells from the Pecan Nut Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch and the Possible Association with Its Inorganic Constituents and Major Phenolic Compounds

“…The Cu content of 29.9 ± 14.5 ppm in PSAE is higher than that previously reported in studies of other medicinal plants, fruits, and juices [ 19 , 31 ]. Cu is used as a biomonitor for air pollution in plants, such as Baccharis sp., when exposed to polluted areas [ 32 ]. The excess intake of Cu may lead to neuropsychiatric symptoms such as those observed in Wilson's disease [ 33 ].…”