Biomedical studies on solvent refined coal (SRC-II) liquefaction materials: a status report

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5767728· OSTI ID:5767728

This technical report summarizes the results of biomedical research effort on solvent refined coal (SRC) materials. The samples, described in the text, as well as samples of raw shale oil, crude petroleum, and some SRC-I materials were evaluated for biological activity in several different systems: (1) microbial mutagenesis (Ames assay), coupled to chemical characterization efforts, (2) in vitro mammalian cell toxicity and transformation, (3) epidermal carcinogenesis (skin painting) in mice, (4) acute and subchronic oral toxicity in rats, (5) developmental toxicity in rats, and (6) dosimetry and metabolism in rats. High boiling point materials (identified) showed significant mutagenic activity while lower boiling fractions from both processes were inactive; crude petroleum was also inactive, while raw shale oil showed only a low level of activity. Chemical characterization studies suggested that 3- and 4-ring primary aromatic amines are responsible for a large fraction of the mutagenic activity. Cultured mammalian cell studies showed that materials exhibiting a positive effect in the Ames system also caused mammalian cell transformation. The results of skin carcinogenesis studies in the mouse were generally consistent with those of the cellular studies. Light distillates were found to be moderately toxic after oral administration to rats. Fuel upgrading, process modification, and appropriate occupational/environmental controls may ameliorate some of the biological effects of SRC materials and other coal liquids of high boiling point. Low-boiling SRC liquids appear to have little biological effects in the assays employed. (LTN)

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-06-1830
• OSTI ID: 5767728
• Report Number(s): PNL-3189
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
016000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
02 PETROLEUM
020600 -- Petroleum-- Health & Safety
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040700 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Health & Safety
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CARCINOGENESIS
CELL CULTURES
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL LIQUEFACTION
COAL LIQUIDS
DATA
DATA FORMS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GRAPHS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
LIQUEFACTION
MAMMALS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MINERAL OILS
MUTAGEN SCREENING
NUMERICAL DATA
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
PETROLEUM
PILOT PLANTS
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
RATS
RODENTS
SAMPLING
SCREENING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SHALE OIL
SPECTROSCOPY
SRC-II PROCESS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM
TABLES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES