Biomonitoring of the toxic effects of industrial emissions

The article presents results of studying the impact of industrial emissions of the Apatit project (Murmansk region) on the fertility and sterility of pollen of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). A low share of fertile pollen (49.3–57.4%) and high ratio of sterile pollen (42.6–50.7%) are revealed in the samples from the city of Apatity under study. The study calculated the palynotoxic effect of the industrial emissions. Shown the toxic effect of emissions of the apatite-nepheline complex on male gametophyte of Scotch pine and the process of gamete formation. The ecological safety of the city of Apatity is closely related to the problems of the complex use of apatite-nepheline ores and the minimization of storage of waste in tailing dumps

The pollen as bioindicator of the genotoxicity of environment

In recent years the male gametes of plants are used for biotesting in ecotoxicology. High proportion of sterile pollen is the indicator of environmental pollution and the presence of mutagens, which cause genetic disturbances. The viability of pollen of Gorodkov’s rowan (Sorbus gorodkovii Pojark) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in the vicinity of environmentally hazard enterprises of the Arctic cities of the Murmansk region have been studied. The following parameters were considered: the number of fertile and sterile pollen and their percentage ratio, the sterility index, and palynotoxic effect of the pollution. High content of the abortive pollen of S. gorodkovii (55–65%), the sterility index (2.1–2.4) and the palynotoxic effect (38.2–50%) indicates the mutagenicity and genotoxicity of the emissions of the Murmansk thermal power plants, that leads to the formation of sterile male gametes. High level of sterility of P. sylvestris pollen (42.5–50.7%), the index of sterility (1.4–1.7) and the palynotoxic effect (19.1–29.8%) indicates, that emissions of the mining and processing plant "Apatit" containes the mutagenic chemicals that have a genotoxic effect on the pine male gametophyte. The pollen of plants can be used for bioindication of environment as the indicator of the impact of gametopathogenic factors