干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Environmental pollution resulting from burning the oil wells in the Kuwaiti desert during the Gulf war, has been under genotoxic investigation. Flowering plant species grown in the Kuwaiti desert were used as bioindicators for genotoxicity. The cytogenetic assays performed to detect mutagenicity of oil pollution included pollen abortion analysis, pollen mother cell (PMC) and mitotic analysis for chromosomal aberrations.

Sterility of anthers, the presence of meiotic irregularities and inhibition of growth were the main indicators of disturbance. An unusual kind of cytokinesis which led to the formation of four pollen grains without the usual cell plate formation was observed.

Out of fifty eight native plant species, fifteen were selected as bioindicators according to certain criteria. Some were sensitive and could be used for shortterm pollution testing and others were resistant and could only be used for long-term pollution testing.