Results of laboratory, “green-house” and long-term field experiments carried out on different plant species to study ecotoxical effects of low doses and concentrations of most common environmental pollutants are presented. Special attention is paid to ecotoxic effects of chronic low dose exposures, synergistic and antagonistic effects of multipollutant exposure. Plant populations growing in areas with relatively low levels of pollution are characterized by the increased level of both cytogenetic disturbances and genetic diversity. The chronic low dose exposure appears to be an ecological factor creating preconditions for possible changes in the genetic structure of a population. A long-term existence of some factors (either of natural origin or man-made) in the plants environment activates genetic mechanisms, changing a population’s resistance to exposure. However, in different radioecological situations, genetic adaptation of plant populations to extreme edaphic conditions could be achieved at different rates. The findings presented indicate clearly that an adequate environment quality assessment cannot rely only on information about pollutant concentrations. This conclusion emphasizes the need to update some current principles of ecological standardization, which are still in use today.Keywords: radioactive and chemical contamination; multipollutant exposure; bioindication; plant populations; environment quality assessment
Access provided by Autonomous University of Puebla. Download to read the full chapter text
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
- Aberrant Cell
- Root Meristem Cell
- Intercalary Meristem
- Environment Quality Assessment
- Chromosome Aberration Frequency
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
References
Alexakhin, R.M., Arkhipov, N.P., Barhudarov, R.M., Vasilenko, I.Y., Drichko, V.F., Ivanov, U.A., Maslov, V.I., Maslova, K.I., Nikiforov, V.S., Polykarpov, G.G., Popova, O.N., Sirotkin, A.N., Taskaev, A.I., Testov, B.V., Titaeva, N.A., and Fevraleva, L.T., 1990, Heavy Natural Radionuclides in Biosphere. Migration and Biological Effects on Population and Biocenosis, Nauka Publishers, Moscow (in Russian).
Breitholtz, M., Ruden, C., Hansson, S.O., and Bengtsson, B.E., 2006, Ten challenges for improved ecotoxicological testing in environmental risk assessment, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safety 63:324–335.
Brenner, D.J., Doll, R., Goodhead, D.T., Hall, E.J., Land, C.E., Little, J.B., Lubin, J.H., Preston, D.L., Preston, R.J., Puskin, J.S., Ron, E., Sachs, R.K., and Samet, J.M., 2003, Cancer risks attributable to low doses of ionizing radiation: assessing what we really know, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100:13761–13766.
Evseeva, T.I., Geras’kin, S.A., and Khramova, E.S., 2003a, The comparative estimation of plant cell early and long-term responses on 232Th and Cd combined short-time or chronic action, Tsitol. Genet. 37:61–66.
Evseeva, T.I., Geras’kin, S.A., and Shuktomova, I.I., 2003b, Genotoxicity and toxicity assay of water sampled from a radium production industry storage cell territory by means of Allium-test, J. Environ. Radioact. 68:235–248.
Evseeva, T.I., Geras’kin, S.A., Shuktomova, I.I., and Taskaev, A.I., 2005, Genotoxicity and toxicity assay of water sampled from the underground nuclear explosion site in the north of the Perm region (Russia), J. Environ. Radioact. 80:59–74.
Evseeva, T.I., Majstrenko, T.A., Geras’kin, S.A., and Belych, E.S., 2007, Genetic variance in wild vetch cenopopulation inhabiting site with enhanced level of natural radioactivity, Radiat. Biol. Radioecol. 47:54–62. (in Russian).
Fiskesjo, G., 1985, The Allium test as a standard in environmental monitoring, Hereditas 102:99–112.
Geras’kin, S.A., 1995, Critical survey of modern concepts and approaches to the low doses of ionizing radiation biological effect estimation, Radiat. Biol. Radioecol. 35:563–571 (in Russian).
Geras’kin, S.A. and Sarapul’tzev, B.I., 1993, Automatic classification of biological objects on the level of their radioresistance, Automat Remote Control 54:182–189.
Geras’kin, S.A., Oudalova, A.A., Kim, J.K., Dikarev, V.G., and Dikareva, N.S., 2007, Cytogenetic effect of low dose g-radiation in Hordeum vulgare seedlings: non-linear dose-effect relationship, Radiat. Environ. Biophys., 46:31–41.
Geras’kin, S.A., Dikarev, V.G., Zyablitskaya, Ye.Ya., Oudalova, A.A., Spirin, Y.V., and Alexakhin, R.M., 2003a, Genetic consequences of radioactive contamination by the Chernobyl fallout to agricultural crops, J. Environ. Radioact. 66:155–169.
Geras’kin, S.A., Kim, J.K., Dikarev, V.G., Oudalova, A.A., Dikareva, N.S., and Spirin, Ye.V., 2005a, Cytogenetic effects of combined radioactive (137Cs) and chemical (Cd, Pb, and 2, 4-D herbicide) contamination on spring barley intercalar meristem cells, Mutat. Res. 586:147–159.
Geras’kin, S.A., Kim, J.K., Oudalova, A.A., Vasiliyev, D.V., Dikareva, N.S., Zimin, V.L., and Dikarev, V.G., 2005b, Bio-monitoring the genotoxicity of populations of Scots pine in the vicinity of a radioactive waste storage facility, Mutat. Res. 583:55–66.
Geras’kin, S.A., Zimina, L.M., Dikarev, V.G., Dikareva, N.S., Zimin, V.L., Vasiliyev, D.V., Oudalova, A.A., Blinova, L.D, and Alexakhin, R.M., 2003b, Bioindication of the anthropogenic effects on micropopulations of Pinus sylvestris L. in the vicinity of a plant for the storage and processing of radioactive waste and in the Chernobyl NPP zone, J. Environ. Radioactivity 66:171–180.
Gonzalez-Martinez, S.C., Krutovsky, K.V., and Neale, D.B., 2006, Forest-tree population genomics and adaptive evolution, New Phytologist 170:227–238.
Howard, H., 1997, Synergistic effects of chemical mixtures–can we rely on traditional toxicology?, The Ecologist 27:192–195.
Kovalchuk, I., Abramov, V., Pogribny, I., and Kovalchuk, O., 2004, Molecular aspects of plant adaptation to life in the Chernobyl zone, Plant Physiol. 135:357–363.
Macnair, M., 1993, The genetics of metal tolerance in vascular plants, New Phytol. 124:541–559.
Oudalova, A.A., Geras’kin, S.A., Dikarev, V.G., Dikareva, N.S., Kruglov, S.V., Vaizer, V.I., Kozmin, G.V., and Tchernonog, E.V., 2006, Method preparation on integrated assessment of ecological situation in the vicinity of the Russian nuclear facilities, In: Proceedings of the Regional Competition of the Natural-Science Project., Issue 9, Kalugian scientific centre, Kaluga, pp. 221–239. (in Russian).
Rajakaruna, N., 2004, The edaphic factor in the origin of plant species, Intern. Geol. Rev. 46:471–478.
Shevchenko, V.A., Pechkurenkov, V.L., and Abramov, V.I., 1992, Radiation Genetics of Natural Populations: Genetic Consequences of the Kyshtym Accident, Nauka Publishers, Moscow. 221 p. (in Russian).
Theodorakis, C.W., Blaylock, B.G., and Shugart, L.R., 1997, Genetic ecotoxicology I: DNA integrity and reproduction in mosquitofish exposed in situ to radionuclides, Ecotoxicology 6:205–218.
Walbot, V., 1985, On the life strategies of plants and animals, Trends Genet 1:165–170.
Whitham, T.G., Bailey, J.K., Schweitzer, J.A., Shuster, S.M., Bangert, R.K., LeRoy, C.J., Lansdorf, E.V., Allan, G.J., DiFazio, S.P., Potts, B.M., Fischer, D.G., Gehring, C.A., Lindroth, R.L., Marks, J.C., Hart, S.C., Wimp, G.M., and Wooley, S.C., 2006, A framework for community and ecosystem genetics: from genes to ecosystems, Nat. Rev. Genet. 7:510–523.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer
About this paper
Cite this paper
Geras'kin, S.A., Oudalova, A.A., Dikarev, V.G., Dikareva, N.S., Evseeva, T.I. (2007). Effects of Multipollutant Exposures on Plant Populations. In: Mothersill, C., Mosse, I., Seymour, C. (eds) Multiple Stressors: A Challenge for the Future. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6335-0_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6335-0_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-6333-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-6335-0
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)