title: Biomonitoring the genotoxic effects of pollutants on Tradescantia pallida (Rose) D.R. Hunt in Dourados, Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to associate the intensity of vehicular traffic in the city of Dourados (Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil) with mutagenic effects and alterations in leaf physiology as measured by the quantity of micronuclei and the leaf surface parameters of Tradescantia pallida.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five collections of inflorescences were undertaken for 24 weeks to determine the quantities of micronuclei using the Tradescantia Micronuclei (Trad-MCN) bioassay. Leaf surface parameters, including stomatal index (SI), stomatal density, and the size of the stomatal ostiole opening size (SO), were evaluated in addition to Trad-MCN. Collections were made at four sampling points with different vehicular traffic intensities. Statistical analyses were performed with SAS software using the Tukey's and Kruskal-Wallis test. Additionally, associations of the characteristics were verified using Pearson's simple correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant effects were observed with the Trad-MCN bioassay (p < 0.01) that were related to the collection period and location, as well as significant differences (p < 0.05) for the effects of the collection points using the Kruskal-Wallis test. In general, the locations with greatest vehicular traffic had plants with the greatest stomatal density values. The characteristics SI and SO did not demonstrate significant differences (p > 0.05) in relation to the collection sites. The simple correlation analysis demonstrated a negative association (-0.65) between SI and Trad-MCN (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plants growing in localities with more intense vehicular traffic had greater quantities of micronuclei as well as higher frequencies and average numbers of stomata than localities with less traffic, indicating the presence of atmospheric contaminants that damaged their DNA.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brazil. brunocrispim.bio@gmail.com
authors.forename: Bruno do Amaral
authors.initials: Bdo A
authors.lastname: Crispim
authors.forename: Jussara Oliveira
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Vaini
authors.forename: Alexeia Barufatti
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Grisolia
authors.forename: Tatiane Zaratini
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Rosilda Mara
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mussury
authors.forename: Leonardo Oliveira
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Seno
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D001938:Brazil; D004249:DNA Damage; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D056626:Inflorescence / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D012621:Seasons; D013499:Surface Properties / Q000187:drug effects; D034823:Tradescantia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D014507:Urbanization; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D009153:Mutagens; D001335:Vehicle Emissions