Mutagenicity of teflon-coated glass-fiber filters: a potential problem and solutions

Technical Report · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5273966

Houk, V S; Zweidinger, R B; Claxton, L D

Teflon-coated glass-fiber filters, used in studies of airborne particulate matter, were tested for mutagenic activity using the Salmonella/mammalian-microsome (Ames) assay. For each sample, eight blank filters were simultaneously extracted with dichloromethane (DCM), and the extract was concentrated by rotary evaporation and a nitrogen purge. Samples were solvent exchanged into dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) for bioassay. Mutagenicity testing was performed using tester strain TA98, with and without metabolic activation. Preliminary findings have indicated that both direct- and indirect-extracting frameshift mutagens were present on the blank filters. Pre-extracting the filters with DCM reduced the activity associated with the filters; however, forced-air baking enhanced the mutagenic response. Additional analyses have suggested that the interference caused by filter mutagenic is inversely proportional to extraction efficiency and particle load.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Health Effects Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5273966
• Report Number(s): PB-88-170626/XAB; EPA-600/J-87/213
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR FILTERS
EQUIPMENT
FIBERGLASS
FILTERS
FLUORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
MATERIALS
MUTAGEN SCREENING
MUTAGENESIS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE
SCREENING
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
TEFLON