Genotoxicity of pesticide waste contaminated soil and its leachate.

OBJECTIVE Improper land disposal of hazardous waste can result in leaching of hazardous constituents which may contaminate ground and surface water leading to adverse impact on human health and environment consequences. The present study utilized mammalian cell culture for the genotoxicity assessment of waste and its leachate. METHODS Genotoxic potential and chemical analysis of pesticide derived tarry waste contaminated soil extract and its leachate was assessed using in vitro human lymphocyte cultures and GC-MS. RESULTS The investigation revealed that the soil extract could cause significant to highly significant genotoxicity in the form of DNA strand break at 25 microL (P < 0.01), 50 microL, 100 microL and 200 microL (P < 0.001) and chromosomal aberration at 25 microL (P < 0.01) and 50 microL and 100 microL (P < 0.001). The leachate could cause significant DNA strand break and chromosomal aberration only at 100 microL and 200 microL (P < 0.01) dose levels. CONCLUSION The genotoxicity observed is attributed to carbaril and tetra methyl naphthyl carbamate, the major ingredients of the extracts, as revealed by GC-MS.