MUTAGENIC ACTIVITY OF SEDIMENTS FROM THE RIVER BOTTOM OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL WATER BODIES IN ASTRAKHANSKAYA OBLAST

Water and organic extracts (WE and OE, respectively) of environment po llutants were obtained from sediments from the river bottom in order t o isolate and concentrate environmental mutagens soluble in water and in organic solvents (dimethyl sulfoxide), Air-dried seeds and sproutin gs of Crepis capillaris were treated with WE and OE. In other experime nts, the seeds and sproutings were treated with native silty sediments , Environmental mutagens from silty sediments and in native silt (with out extraction) contained in WE consistently induced chromosomal aberr ations.