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Title: Geographical and temporal distribution of atmospheric mutagens in California. Final report 27 June 1978-26 September 1979

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5869144

An assessment was made of the mutagenic potency, as determined by the Ames Salmonella mutagenicity assay, of suspended particulate matter in the South Coast Air Basin (SCAB) of Southern California. The authors have: made refinements in our Ames test protocol which have resulted in a quantatively meaningful reduction of variability in the results; examined the influence of filter material (glass, quartz, or Teflon-impregnated glass) upon the chemical composition and mutagenic activity of particulate samples collected by high-volume filtration; evaluated the methods for the extraction, sample handling, and Ames testing of organic mutagens from ambient particulate in terms of precision and accuracy; and, carried out an assay of the average mutagen content of ambient particulate at eight locations in the SCAB. Airborne mutagen density ranged from 8 to 45 revertants/cu m in the absence of metabolic activation, and from 10 to 62 revertants/cu m with metabolic activation. No correlation was apparent between the air quality and meteorological data obtained at each sampling site and the measured mutagenicities although the impacts of traffic density, industrial emissions and transport phenomena appeared to be reflected in the data.

Research Organization:
California Univ., Riverside (USA). Statewide Air Pollution Research Center
OSTI ID:
5869144
Report Number(s):
PB-81-158263
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English