Airborne pollutants in the subway facilities can be potentially harmful to the health of passengers. This study was designed to examine whether the suspended particulates have mutagenic or carcinogenic effect on the plant cell systems. Total suspended particulates were collected with a high volume air sampler, in the entrance, the waiting room, and the platform of each subway station. The biological end-points in this experiment were the pink mutations in stamen hairs and micronuclei in the pollen mother cells of Tradescantia. The exudates were collected by shaking the filter papers from the sampler in distilled water for 24 hours. All the plant cuttings exposed to the exudates resulted in positive responses. The micronucleus assay proved more reliable and sensitive to the test than the stamen hair assay. The results indicate that the air particulates can give an adverse effect on the health of subway passengers.
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