Genotoxicity of the extracts from the compost of the organic and the total municipal garbage using three plant bioassays.
The production of compost is one of the alternatives for the disposal of non-hazardous solid wastes. Compost is used in agriculture and gardening as fertilizer. In the State of Queretaro, Mexico, there is a project to produce compost from the municipal garbage which could be used as a fertilizer. The presence of mutagenic compounds in the compost could be a major disadvantage for the selection of this alternative. For the above reason, this study was initiated as a pilot project to determine the potential mutagenic activity in the compost using three plant bioassays: Tradescantia-micronucleus (Trad-MCN), Tradescantia stamen hair mutations (Trad-SHM) and Allium root anaphase aberrations (AL-RAA). Compost was produced using both aerobic and anaerobic processes from either organic waste (from the residential area) or from the total components of the municipal garbage. Extractions from the compost were done using distilled water and organic solvents and shaking the sample for about 12 h under relatively low temperatures (15-20 degrees C). Plant cuttings of Tradescantia or the roots of Allium were treated by submerging them in the extracts. Three replicates of each sample were analyzed in each one of the three bioassays. As expected the samples of compost from the total garbage showed a higher genetoxicity than those from organic waste. In conclusion, there are some substances present in the compost capable of inducing genotoxicity in the plant assays and therefore there must be some restrictions for its use as a fertilizer.
Cabrera
G L
GL
Centro de Estudios Academicos sobre Contaminacion Ambiental, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Queretaro, Qro. 76010, Mexico.
Rodriguez
D M
DM
Maruri
A B
AB
D000383:Agriculture; D000490:Allium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000705:Anaphase; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D005735:Garbage; D005843:Geography; D008800:Mexico; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D018517:Plant Roots; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D014504:Urban Health
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009153:Mutagens