The present study was designed to elucidate the rate of chromosome damages induced by 241Аm in plant test-system. The seedlings of onion Allium cepa L. were used as a test-system. The impact of 241Аm - irradiation on the frequency of chromosome aberration (FCA) in root tip cells (using anaphase method), mitotic index (MI) and energy of germination (EG) was evaluated. The seed were soaked and germinated in 241AmCl3 solutions different concentrations (1.5 · 10-9 - 3.0 · 10-7 g/l). Water solution-to-plant transfer factor for 241Аm was found to be 0.18 ± 0.04. The effect of γ-irradiation on FCA on the same assay was also evaluated for comparison with that of 241Аm to establish the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 241Аm. We revealed strong effects on both FCA and MI at γ-irradiation. The clearest impact of 241Am irradiation on EG-parameter was registered. We had not received statistically significant values that could demonstrate any changes in FCA in seedlings grown on 241Am-contained solution in comparison with the control. We revealed the greatest rate of difference of FCA in one case, when concentration of 241Am in solution was 1.5 · 10-8 g/l. This rate was taken to account the RBE and it amounted to 58 ± 18. The real number of RBE should be some lower due to differences between condition of α- and γ-irradiation.
Kutsokon et al. (Sat,) studied this question.