Correlation of mutagenic activity of energy-related effluents with organic constituents

88 39 J.L. Epler, A.A. Hardigree, J.A. Young and T.K. Rao, Biology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn. 37830 (U.S.A.) Feasibility of application of mutagenicity testing to aqueous environmental effluents The potential predictive value of assays for genetic damage and the correlation with carcinogenic damage has been emphasized in a number of recent reports. We have applied the Salmonella test system developed by Ames as a prescreen for ascertaining the biohazard of complex environmental a q u e o u s effluents. Materials, e.g., condensates from coal gasification processes, can be concentrated and fractionated (collaborative effort with Analytical Chemistry Division) so that organic contaminants can be isolated and identified in a coupled analytical chemistry and biological approach. Class fractionation and column chromatography of the organics can lead to materials assayable by reverse mutation of the histidine tester series. In the initial study, materials from the COED (coal liquefaction), SYNTHANE (coal gasification), and shale oil technologies were analyzed. Standard results are expressed in terms o f revertants of frame-shift strain TA98 per mg of starting material (concentrate of organics) including metabolic activation with a liver preparation from rats induced with Aroclor 1254. The estimate of degree of genetic hazard, strain specificity, and the enzymatic relationship of the test materials will be discussed and correlated with the analytical analysis of the same materials. Validation and extension of this approach to other genetic systems will be considered. Research jointly sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Research and Development Administration under contract with Union Carbide Corporation.

40 T.K. Rao, A.A. Hardigree, J.A. Young and J.L. Epler, Biology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn. 37830 (U.S.A.) Correlation of mutagenic activity of energy-related effluents with organic c o n stituents

The predictive value of short-term genetic tests, such as the Salmonella system including microsomal activation, is well documented. We have applied the short-term testing to various crude products and effluents from the synthetic fuel technologies. Class fractionation and column chromatography of the test materials and the coupled bioassays can be used to identify the most active fractions (collaborative effort with Analytical Chemistry Division). Selected fractions (Strong Acids, water-soluble; Bases, insoluble (a); Bases, ether-soluble; and Neutral subfractions) from a synfuel crude product were used in an a t t e m p t to identify the active organic constituents. The frameshift mutants TA-1538 and TA-98 gave the maximum response at optimal conditions of metabolic activation. The basic fractions gave best response to uninduced rat liver microsomal