The use of the aquatic plant Elodea canadensis to assess the effects of low-dose gamma irradiation

Alexander Bolsunovsky; Elena Trofimova; Anastasiya Zueva; Ksenia Miroshnikova; Dmitry Dementyev

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107203

The use of the aquatic plant Elodea canadensis to assess the effects of low-dose gamma irradiation

J Environ Radioact. 2023 Aug:264:107203. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107203. Epub 2023 May 13.

Authors

Alexander Bolsunovsky¹, Elena Trofimova², Anastasiya Zueva², Ksenia Miroshnikova², Dmitry Dementyev²

Affiliations

¹ Radioecology Laboratory, Institute of Biophysics Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 50-50 Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia. Electronic address: radecol@ibp.ru.
² Radioecology Laboratory, Institute of Biophysics Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 50-50 Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.

PMID: 37186983
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107203

Abstract

Responses of cytogenetic and growth endpoints of the aquatic plant Elodea canadensis were studied using the plants collected from non-contaminated control areas of the Yenisei River and exposed to external γ-radiation for 11-13 days in the laboratory. Elodea canadensis was exposed to 0.5-25 mGy/day γ-radiation dose rates from a ¹³⁷Cs source. The total number of aberrant cells and total root length were more sensitive elodea endpoints to γ-radiation than total shoot length and mitotic index of elodea. Radiation sensitivity of elodea can be compared with the sensitivity of such a Reference Plant as Wild Grass (1-10 mGy/day) recommended by the ICRP. Thus, the aquatic plant Elodea canadensis can be used as a radiation bioindicator.

Keywords: Chromosomal aberrations; Elodea canadensis; Endpoints; Low-dose; Radiosensitivity; γ-radiation.

MeSH terms

Gamma Rays
Hydrocharitaceae* / physiology
Radiation Monitoring*
Rivers