title: Chromosomal instability in rodents caused by pollution from Baikonur cosmodrome.
abstract: An assessment of the health status of ecosystems exposed to man-made pollution is a vital issue for many countries. Particularly it concerns the consequences of contamination caused by the activity of the space industry. Each rocket launch is accompanied by the introduction of parts of the rocket propellant into the environment. This study aims to scrutinize the effect of the components of rocket fuel on the induction of lipid peroxidation and chromosomal aberrations on rodents inhabiting the area exposed to pollution from Baikonur cosmodrome. The results showed the increase of the level of lipid hydroperoxide and malondialdehyde in the livers of Citellus pygmaeus Pallas and Mus musculus L., which indicates an augmentation of free radical activity and DNA damage. The cytogenetic analysis of bone marrow cells revealed that the frequency of chromosomal aberrations was a few times higher in the rodents from contaminated territory. The signs of oxidative stress and high level of chromosomal aberrations indicate the environmental impact of the cosmodrome, and its possible toxic and mutagenic effects on ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 av. Al-Farabi, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan, saule.kolumbayeva@kaznu.kz.
authors.forename: Saule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kolumbayeva
authors.forename: Dinara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Begimbetova
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shalakhmetova
authors.forename: Timur
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saliev
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lovinskaya
authors.forename: Benazir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhunusbekova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D004249:DNA Damage; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity*; D007623:Kazakhstan; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008099:Liver / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012589:Sciuridae / Q000235:genetics*; D013026:Space Flight
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D008315:Malondialdehyde