Study of industrial effluents induced genotoxicity on Allium cepa L

Due to continued industrial discharge, pollution of the aquatic system has emerged as a worldwide concern. This study was conducted to determine the possible genotoxic effect of industrial effluents (treated and untreated) by employing the Allium cepa chromosome aberrations test system. The result illustrated that the untreated effluent was more toxic compared to treated effluent, as it reduced the number of dividing cells in the root tip. All the samples of untreated effluent showed high genotoxic effect. On incrementing the dosage from 25% to 100% the gradual increasing effect was noted on A. cepa. The study states that effluent even after treatment remains genotoxic as it has the ability to initiate the chromosomal aberrations of various types.