Sister chromatid exchanges induced by heavy metals in Vicia faba

The induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) by chloride and nitrate s alts of nickel, cobalt, cadmium and zinc were studied in meristematic root cells of Vicia faba. Salts of nickel, cobalt and cadmium significantly incr eased the frequency of SCE, whereas chloride and nitrate salts of zinc did not increase the frequency of SCE significantly above the spontaneous level . The reported data demonstrate that the induction of SCE in Vicia faba may represent a valuable bioindicator for detecting the cytogenetic damage of heavy metals.