Ecotoxic Effects in Pinus Sylvestris L Populations Growing in the Vicinity of a Radioactive Waste Storage Facility and in the 30-km Zone of the Chernobyl Npp

Cones and young shoots were collected (in autumn, 1997–2002 and in May, 1998–2002, respectively) from trees of three Scotch pine populations located at the LWPE territory, in the centre of the Sosnovy Bor town, and at 30-km distance from the town in an ecologically safe site chosen considering the wind rose. A similar experiment was carried out earlier in the 30km Chernobyl NPP zone, where populations of Scots pine within the asphalt-concrete plant (ACP, "Red wood") site and the Cherevach village (rather safe site within the 30-km ChNPP zone) were examined. The population within an ecologically safe area of the Kaluga region was used as a reference. The collected cones were allowed to ripen up to opening. Seeds were germinated in thermostat at 24 C in Petri dishes on a filter paper. The seedling roots at the cell stage of first mitosis (10-15 (в опубликованных статьях указано 8-14 мм – несоответствия не должно быть!) mm in length) were fixed in ethanol-acetic acid (3:1). Squashed temporary preparations of seedling root apical meristem and intercalar meristem of young needles were stained with acetic orcein. All anaphase and telophase cells were analyzed in each preparation and aberrations were scored; the aberration spectrum analysis was carried out with separation of chromatid (single) and chromosome (double) bridges and fragments, multipolar mitoses, and also chromosome laggings (genome mutations).