Assessment of genotoxicity by the Allium Test of Haplic Chernozem polluted by heavy metals.

Soil pollution with heavy metals manifests itself at both organism and genetic levels, as aberrations. Objectives of the research are to assess genotoxicity by the Allium Test of Haplic Chernozem polluted by heavy metals. Haplic Chernozem polluted by Ag, Bi, Te, and Tl through the oxide and nitrate forms for 30 of conditionally permissible concentrations (CPC). Model experiment lasted 10 days. In the time following, the genotoxicity of the soil was assessed using onion plants (Allium cepa L.), variety "Stuttgart Riesen". It was revealed that Haplic Chernozem polluted by Ag, Bi, and Tl oxides caused mitotic pathologies stipulated by the effect of these metals on the mitotic apparatus of cells. Ag and Tl oxides, Tl nitrate had the highest genotoxicity by 12-46% (p < 0.05). Non-disjunction of sister chromatids was observed only upon contamination by Ag, Bi, and Tl oxides, namely 3.4%, 3.22%, and 0.88%, respectively. Asymmetric mitosis was expressed only upon soil contamination by silver oxide and amounted to 7.96%. The greatest number of mitosis types were found in soil contaminated with Bi oxide and nitrate, as well as Te oxide and Ag nitrate. Oxides of Te and Bi are the most genotoxic, while Tl and Ag are less toxic. At the same time, Bi and Ag nitrates are more genotoxic than Tl and Te nitrates. Nitrates of Ag, Bi, Te, and Tl led to an increase in pathological mitoses associated with the impairment of the chromosomes themselves, while oxides had a higher total genotoxicity than nitrates. Genotoxic diagnostics of soils contaminated by oxides and nitrates of heavy metal can be used to assess the health and quality of soils after contamination and its safe agricultural use.