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Title: Chemical characterization and genotoxic potential related to boiling point for fractionally distilled SRC-I coal liquids

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5320105· OSTI ID:5320105

This report summarizes selected research efforts oriented toward ameliorating the genotoxic potential of direct coal liquefaction materials through modification or optimization of process conditions. The studies described were conducted to evaluate the utility of optimized distillation for coal liquids from the SRC-I process. SRC-I process solvent was distilled into 50/sup 0/F-range boiling point (bp) cuts. Analysis of amino-PAH (APAH) showed that mutagenic APAHs containing 3 or more rings were found primarily in fractions boiling above 750/sup 0/F. Three microbial tester strains were used to screen for genetically active agents in the SRC-I distillate bp cuts. Reverse mutation with the Ames tester strain TA98 demonstrated that mutagens were concentrated in the bp cuts boiling above 700/sup 0/F. For this tester strain most of the genetic activity in these distillates was attributable to chemical fractions enriched in APAH having 3 or more rings. Mutagenicity data obtained with TA98 was in good agreement with sk in carcinogenesis results from the mouse-skin initiation/promotion (in vivo) test system. The strongest response in the forward mutation assay did not occur in the most carcinogenically active fractions. Results of initiation/promotion experiments used to measure the relative potency of bp cuts as initiators of mouse skin carcinogenesis again showed that fractions boiling above 750/sup 0/F. Compounds reaching their highest concentrations in the highest boiling and most carcinogenically active cut included known carcinogens such as benzo(a)pyrene and dimethyl benzanthracene. Thus, all biomedical test results indicate that consideration should be given to conducting distillation so as to minimize, in the distillate product, the concentrations of those biologically active compounds found in cuts boiling above 700/sup 0/C.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
5320105
Report Number(s):
PNL-4277; ON: DE82019722
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English