Plants ecotoxicology. A case of low doses and multipollutant exposure

Abstract

Abstract. Results of laboratory, "green-house" and long-term field experiments carried out on different plant species (spring barley, Scots pine, bulb onion and others) to study ecotoxical effects of low doses and concentrations of such common environmental factors as acute and chronic γ-radiation, heavy metals, pesticides, artificial and heavy natural radionuclides, are presented. Special attention is paid to ecotoxic effects of chronic low dose exposures, synergistic and antagonistic effects of different factors' combined action. The results of long-term field experiments in the 30-km Chernobyl NPP zone and in the vicinity of a radioactive wastes storage facility are discussed. The data presented suggest that the further evolution of investigations in this field would issue in the development of a theoretical bases and practical procedures for environmental protection against radioactivity, taking into account the new experimentally confirmed facts about the presence of such essentially important singularities as the nonlinearity of a dose-effect relationship, radiation-induced genomic instability, phenomenon of radioadaptation, increased probability of synergetic and antagonistic effects of the combined action of different nature factors.

Impact assessment of long-term chronic radiation exposure on plant populations

“…Aberrant cell frequency in root meristem of germinated seeds collected from these populations significantly exceeds the reference level and shows correlation with the dose absorbed. Compiled with data from other our studies [2][3][4]7], these findings indicate that an increased level of cytogenetic disturbances is a typical phenomenon for plant populations growing in areas with relatively low levels of pollution.…”

“…Therefore, a well-directed accumulation of knowledge is needed and appropriate experimental data analysis is necessary. Previously completed and ongoing field studies that have been carried out in Laboratory of Plant Ecotoxicology, RIARAE with different species of wild and agricultural plants are presented in [2][3][4][5][6][7]. A wide range of radioecological situations and climatic zones have been covered in frames of this work.…”