Mutagenic by-products from chlorination of humic acid
Chlorination of humic and fulvic acid results in the formation of direct-acting mutagenicity, detectable in the Salmonella/microsome assay (Ames test). This mutagenicity is being characterized as part of an overall effort aimed at evaluating potential health risks associated with the presence of mutagenic chemicals in drinking water. A number of chlorinated organic compounds, including several known mutagens, have been identified and quantified in diethyl either extracts of chlorinated humic acid solutions. However, the total mutagenicity of these compounds accounts for only about 7% of the original mutagenicity. Synergistic or antagonistic interactions among the identified components have been ruled out as possible explanations for the failure to account for a higher percentage of the activity. Recent progress has been made to separate the activity into neutral and strong acid fractions. Further isolation of the strong acids by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) has resulted in the purification of the mutagenicity into a major peak of activity with a specific mutagenicity of about 20,000 TA100 revertants per milligram. Several trichlorohydroxyfuranone isomers have been tentatively identified in this fraction. The contribution of these types of compounds to the mutagenicity of chlorinated humic acid is under investigation.
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH
- OSTI ID:
- 5749667
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States), Vol. 69
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
DRINKING WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY
FULVIC ACIDS
CHLORINATION
GENETIC EFFECTS
HUMIC ACIDS
BY-PRODUCTS
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
MUTAGENESIS
SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
HALOGENATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SALMONELLA
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WATER
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology