Abstract
The intensification of human-induced pressures on the environment leads to significant disturbances in the integrity and stability of ecosystems. The presence of pollutants can mutate genetic material, thereby heightening the rate of genetic mutations within organisms due to environmental exposure. The accumulation of xenobiotics in essential habitats like soil and water underscores the necessity for continuous genetic monitoring of surface waters in daily contact with humans. This study analyses the mutagenic effects of water from the Kapshagai Reservoir and the Ile River at its confluence with the reservoir, a site of significant economic activity. Utilising cytogenetic analysis to examine chromosomal aberrations in Hordeum vulgare L., the study investigated the mutagenic and cytotoxic impacts of water samples gathered during the spring and summer of 2023. The results indicate that water from the Kapshagai Reservoir displayed mutagenic and cytotoxic activities, causing structural mutations in barley seeds at a rate markedly exceeding spontaneous mutation levels (p<0.01). Additionally, the appearance of polyploid cells, which were not present in the control group, reduced the proliferative activity of the barley root meristem cells. These findings underscore the detrimental effects of the examined water samples on genetic stability.