The plants are affected by a long-term exposure to a number of pollutants in the semi-natural and urban ecosystems. The present work focuses on the studies of cytogenetical aspects such as the pollen mother cell (PMC) meiosis, meiotic product, and pollen fertility. In the plant specimens collected from polluted localities, the percentage of meiotic abnormalities has been found to be significantly higher as compared to the control specimens. Soil samples were also analyzed to detect the percentage of heavy metals and organochlorines. The genotoxic studies on plants are recognized as a good...

The present work is the first large-scale study of the in situ effects of high-tension power transmission lines on the natural flora species. The study focused on pollen mother cell meiosis, meiotic product, pollen fertility, and leaf anatomy. The test specimens showed significantly higher percentages of meiotic abnormalities. The mean meiotic abnormalities and mean percentages of sterile pollen grains showed strong positive correlation with the increase in voltage, but not with the strength of magnetic field. The leaf anatomy showed rather inconsistent results; however in majority of test...