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Title: Biomedical response to products and effluents from the University of Minnesota-Duluth gasifier

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5551513

Electrostatic precipitator tars from the UMD gasifier were found to be mutagenic in the Salmonella/microsome assay and were confirmed in the yeast assay. After chemical fractionation of the ESP tars, it was found that the mutagenic activity was contributed principally by the organic constituents of the basic fraction, and only secondarily by constituents of the neutral fraction. The ESP tars occupy a position intermediate to the low-activity petroleum crude oils and the relatively higher-activity coal-derived liquids, with respect to mutagenic potential. Aqueous extracts of ESP tar were embryotoxic and teratogenic in the amphibian system. Distilled water leachates of bottom ash were both embryotoxic and teratogenic in the amphibian system. ESP tar caused decreased postnatal survival, cytotoxicity, and some teratogenicity coincident to the mouse spot test, but there was no evidence of mutation induction. ESP tar caused transient loss of reproductive capacity in mice. There was a detectable increase in dominant-lethal mutations at all stages in spermatogenesis. ESP tars were slightly toxic to mice when given orally. Moderate toxicity was noted following intraperitoneal injection. Tar samples caused moderate, albeit reversible, eye irritation. The data obtained in the mouse lung adenoma bioassay indicate that ESP tar is tumorigenic. ESP tar is carcinogenic mouse skin. 10 references.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
5551513
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-8821; ON: DE84000649
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English