Abstract

Pyroligneous acid (PA) is a highly oxygenated organic condensate obtained by cooling the gases generated from the pyrolysis process. PA has been used in agriculture for several years with multiple beneficial effects, including plant health and yields, pest resilience, and seed germination. It is generally applied to agricultural soils in the dilution of 1:1000 to 1:100, corresponding to 0.1–1% PA concentration. In this study, the cyto-genotoxic potential of PA to Allium cepa meristematic root-tips (where all cells undergo repeated division and form primary root tissues) was examined. Exposure to PA concentrations of 0.1% and above showed a reduction in the mitotic index percentage, and at 5%, a complete arrest in the cell division was recorded. However, chromosomal aberrations at 0.5, 1, and 3% PA were reversible types such as bridges, vagrants, laggards, and multipolar anaphase, with a maximum of only 5.8% chromosomal aberration observed at 3% PA. Comet assay (single-cell gel electrophoresis) for genotoxicity assessment determined using PA exposed A. cepa root tips showed that it was not genotoxic. The absence of cyto-genotoxicity in A. cepa, even at concentrations far above what would be typically encountered in agricultural applications, strongly suggests that PA is unlikely to cause adverse effects on crops and ultimately on the biota and human health.

摘要

焦木酸 (PA) 是一种高度氧化的有机冷凝物，通过冷却热解过程中产生的气体而获得。PA 多年来一直用于农业，具有多种有益效果，包括植物健康和产量、害虫抵御力和种子发芽。它通常以 1:1000 到 1:100 的稀释比例应用于农业土壤，对应于 0.1-1% 的 PA 浓度。在这项研究中，PA 对洋葱的细胞遗传毒性潜力检查了分生组织的根尖（所有细胞都经历反复分裂并形成初级根组织）。暴露于 0.1% 及以上的 PA 浓度显示有丝分裂指数百分比降低，并且在 5% 时，记录到细胞分裂完全停止。然而，0.5%、1% 和 3% PA 的染色体畸变是可逆的类型，例如桥、流浪者、落后者和多极后期，在 3% PA 下最多仅观察到 5.8% 的染色体畸变。使用 PA 暴露的A. cepa根尖确定的用于遗传毒性评估的彗星测定（单细胞凝胶电泳）表明它没有遗传毒性。A. cepa没有细胞遗传毒性，即使浓度远高于农业应用中通常遇到的浓度，也强烈表明 PA 不太可能对作物并最终对生物群和人类健康造成不利影响。