Genotoxicity of pesticide waste contaminated soil and its leachate.
OBJECTIVE
Improper land disposal of hazardous waste can result in leaching of hazardous constituents which may contaminate ground and surface water leading to adverse impact on human health and environment consequences. The present study utilized mammalian cell culture for the genotoxicity assessment of waste and its leachate.


METHODS
Genotoxic potential and chemical analysis of pesticide derived tarry waste contaminated soil extract and its leachate was assessed using in vitro human lymphocyte cultures and GC-MS.


RESULTS
The investigation revealed that the soil extract could cause significant to highly significant genotoxicity in the form of DNA strand break at 25 microL (P < 0.01), 50 microL, 100 microL and 200 microL (P < 0.001) and chromosomal aberration at 25 microL (P < 0.01) and 50 microL and 100 microL (P < 0.001). The leachate could cause significant DNA strand break and chromosomal aberration only at 100 microL and 200 microL (P < 0.01) dose levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The genotoxicity observed is attributed to carbaril and tetra methyl naphthyl carbamate, the major ingredients of the extracts, as revealed by GC-MS.
Sivanesan
S D
SD
Environmental Biotechnology Division, lnstrumentation Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur-440 020, India.
Krishnamurthi
K
K
Wachasunder
S D
SD
Chakrabarti
T
T
D000328:Adult; D012721:Carbaryl / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002617:Chemical Industry; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004249:DNA Damage; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006256:Hazardous Waste; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity; D009153:Mutagens / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects*; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
D006256:Hazardous Waste; D007306:Insecticides; D009153:Mutagens; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D012721:Carbaryl