Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Mutation Research - Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, cilt.912, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The widespread use of benzalkonium chloride (BAC) as a disinfectant necessitates a thorough evaluation of its toxicity. This study investigated the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of BAC, alongside its recovery potential, using the Allium cepa test system. Roots were exposed to 5, 15, and 30 mg/L BAC for 24 and 48 h. EC₅₀ values were initially determined by linear interpolation as 38.3 mg/L (24 h) and 28.0 mg/L (48 h); a supplementary four-parameter nonlinear regression (Hill sigmoid model) yielded 31.79 mg/L (95 % CI: 18.56–45.03; R² = 0.9993) and 27.66 mg/L (95 % CI: 19.87–35.44; R² = 0.9995), respectively, confirming the robustness of dose selection. Cytogenetic analysis revealed significant, dose-dependent decreases in mitotic index and alterations in mitotic phase distribution. BAC induced clastogenic and aneugenic effects, manifesting as significant increases in C-mitosis, anaphase bridges, chromosome breakages, and stickiness. Micronucleus formation was statistically significant only at 30 mg/L after 24 h (p = 0.521 at 48 h). Roots transferred to distilled water for recovery demonstrated persistent mitotic suppression and genomic instability, indicating that BAC inflicts irreversible damage exceeding cellular repair capacity. These findings establish that BAC possesses significant genotoxic and cytotoxic hazard potential for non-target eukaryotic organisms.