Long-term trends of particulate mutagenic activity in the atmosphere of Sapporo. 1: Determination of mutagenic activity by the conventional tester strains TA98 and TA100 during an 18-year period (1974--1992)
- Hokkaido Research Inst. for Environmental Sciences, Sapporo (Japan)
- Tohoku Univ. School of Medicine, Sendai (Japan)
The Ames Salmonella mutagenicity bioassay using strains TA98 and TA100 of airborne particulates from Sapporo, Japan, was studied over an 18-year period starting in 1974. Measurements of mutagenicity and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), as well as other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were performed on organic extracts which were prepared from seasonal particulate composites of high-volume filter samples for each year. The average contribution of BaP to total indirect-acting mutagenic activity was 1.8% for strain TA98 and 3.5% for strain TA100. During the measurement period, BaP concentrations showed a large decline, while indirect-acting mutagenic activity showed a moderate decline and direct-acting mutagenic activity did not show any clear increase or decrease. This clearly indicates that there was almost no change in the amount of exposure to mutagenic substances as a whole. A qualitative change was clearly seen in mutagens, being indicated by the continuous increase in the ratio of direct-acting to indirect-acting mutagenic activity during the sampling period. Furthermore, these results suggest that, in the long term, BaP may not always be an appropriate indicator of the effect of air pollution on human health.
- OSTI ID:
- 655439
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 32, Issue 18; Other Information: PBD: 15 Sep 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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