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Title: Bioassay of complex mixtures of indoor air pollutants. Chapter 7

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5545089

There are several strategies for conducting bioassay studies of indoor air pollutant mixtures. One approach is to generate indoor pollutants from sources under laboratory conditions suitable for human, animal, or in vitro bioassay studies. This approach was used extensively to evaluate tobacco smoke and to a lesser extent for other indoor combustion sources such as kerosene heaters. A second approach is to simulate these complex mixtures by simpler mixtures of pure chemicals which can be used in biological studies. The third approach, which is described in more detail here, is to use bioassays in the direct evaluation of complex mixtures of indoor air pollutants. The mixtures of organics found indoors from combustion sources, building materials, household products and human activities are extremely complex. They consist of thousands of components which are not well characterized or quantified. Many of these mixtures and certain components are potential human carcinogens. The development of short-term bioassays to detect mutagens and potential carcinogens has facilitated studies of complex mixtures including air pollutants and combustion emissions. Chapter 7 will focus on the development and application of bacterial mutagenicity assays to complex mixtures of indoor air pollutants.

Research Organization:
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Health Effects Research Lab.
OSTI ID:
5545089
Report Number(s):
PB-91-162560/XAB; EPA-600/D-90/242
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Prepared in cooperation with Nordic School of Public Health, Goeteborg (Sweden)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English