Synergistic Cytotoxic Stress and DNA Damage in Clover (Trifolium repens) Exposed to Heavy Metal Soil from Automobile Refining Shops in Kashmir-Himalaya

Abstract

Coexposure to heavy metals occurs in many occupational settings, such as automobile refining shops, pigment, and batteries production. Heavy metals around automobile refining shops were tested for their ability to induce synergistic cytogenetic effects in Trifolium repens L. by using the chromosomal aberrasions (CAs), micronucleus (MN) and comet assay. A significant increase in micronucleus (MN), chromosomal abrations (CAs), percentage of nuclei with comet tails (NCTs), the relative comet tail length (CTL), comet tail DNA (CT, DNA), and tail moment (TM) were observed with increased concentration of three heavy metals, like Cd, Pb, Hg. The present result indicate that exposure of T. repens to soils contaminated by heavy metals around automobile refining shops shows clastogenicity, cytotoxicity, and DNA damage at higher concentrations.