Mutagenicity of fine (less than 2. 5 microns) airborne particles: diurnal variation in community air determined by a Salmonella micro preincubation (microsuspension) procedure
A simple modification of the Salmonella liquid incubation assay previously developed for detecting mutagens in urine was used to determine mutagenic activity of airborne particulate matter. The modification consists of adding ten times more bacteria (approximately 10(9) per incubation tube) and five to ten times less metabolic enzymes compared to the plate incorporation method. The mixture volume is approximately 0.2 ml, and the mixture is incubated for 90 min before pouring it according to the standard protocol. The modified procedure (micro preincubation or microsuspension) was approximately ten times more sensitive than the standard plate incorporation test for detecting mutagens in air particulate extracts and approximately ten to 31 times more sensitive for the chemical mutagens 2-nitrofluorene, 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide, 2-aminofluorene, and benzo(a)pyrene in bacterial strain TA98. Mutagenic activity was detected in particle extracts obtained from 1 m3 of air (17 micrograms of extract) or less. This microsuspension procedure was applied to air particulate samples collected with low-volume (15-50 liters per min) virtual-dichotomous air samplers. Mutagenic activity was associated exclusively with fine particles (aerodynamic diameters of less than 2.5 microns). Diurnal patterns of mutagenic activity (TA98 revertants per cubic meter air) were investigated by measuring filter extracts from 2-hr samples collected in three San Francisco Bay Area cities during the summer or fall of 1982. Four criteria pollutants--lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide--were simultaneously sampled at one location. Mutagenicity from fine particles sampled at this location was highly correlated with lead and much less correlated with nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide. The microsuspension procedure is applicable in testing samples of limited mass.
- Research Organization:
- California Air Resources Board, Sacramento
- OSTI ID:
- 5858746
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Mutagen.; (United States), Vol. 1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PARTICULATES
MUTAGEN SCREENING
AIR POLLUTION
BENZOPYRENE
CALIFORNIA
LEAD
MUTAGENS
NITRO COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OZONE
PARTICLE SIZE
SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM
SULFUR DIOXIDE
URINE
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY FLUIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONDENSED AROMATICS
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION IX
HYDROCARBONS
MATERIALS
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
POLLUTION
SALMONELLA
SCREENING
SIZE
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
USA
WASTES
560302* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)