Study on the Micronucleus in Nucleated Erythrocytes in Vertebrates and its Application to Monitoring Environmental Pollution

204 well developed individuals of vertebrates belonging to 14 families and/or species (Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia and Aves) were obtained from apparently non-polluted habitats. The background mean frequency of micronuclei (MNF) was 0.04%, but it increased to 0.94% and 1.33%, respectively, in Elaphe rufodorsata (Reptilia) and Columbia livia domestica (Aves) after treatment with antioxidant D (N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine). The results suggest that MNF scoring can serve as a simple indicator for environmental monitoring. It has the advantage of convenient sample collecting in organisms exposed to a variety of atmospheric and aquatic contaminations.