Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of some energetic compounds tested using various bacterial and mammalian cell assays

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:458294

Lachance, B; Hawari, J; Sharmeen, N; Dodard, S; Robidoux, P Y; Sunahara, G ^[1]; Ampleman, G; Thiboutot, S ^[2]

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1. BRI, Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
2. DREV, Courcelette, Quebec (Canada)

Several energetic compounds (EC) present in explosive-contaminated soil and water samples, namely trinitrotoluene (TNT), cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), and various amino and nitro derivatives of toluene were evaluated. The authors are studying cyto- and genotoxic effects of the EC using the Fluctuation Test (FT), the SOS Chromotest (SC) and the V79 mammalian cell mutagenicity assay (MC). They have used the neutral red cytotoxicity test with V79 cells as a screening tool before conducting the mutagenicity assays. In the V79 cell assay, only 3,4-dinitrotoluene was found more toxic than TNT. RDX was clearly less toxic than TNT and HMX was not toxic for V79 cells at its maximal solubility limit. TNT metabolites were generally less toxic than the parent compound. The preliminary results with the FT, SC and MC assays indicate that TNT and 2,4-DNT are genotoxic using the FT, an effect which was decreased following the addition of S9. On the other hand, none of the agents tested were mutagenic using the SC. Lengthening the exposure time in the MC allowed for detection of a weak genotoxic activity of TNT and RDX. The authors are continuing studies in order to verify if the mammalian cell assay can be used to further characterize the potential risk for wildlife and man in contaminated sites.

• OSTI ID: 458294
• Report Number(s): CONF-961149--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
EXPLOSIVES
GENETIC EFFECTS
LAND POLLUTION
MUTAGEN SCREENING
NITRO COMPOUNDS