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Solid‐phase genotoxicity assay for organic compounds in soil
Author(s) -
Alexander Renee R.,
Chung Namhyun,
Alexander Martin
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620180308
Subject(s) - genotoxicity , mutagen , pseudomonas putida , chemistry , environmental chemistry , mutant , soil contamination , bioassay , ames test , soil water , chromatography , toxicity , bacteria , biology , carcinogen , biochemistry , genetics , organic chemistry , ecology , salmonella , gene , enzyme
A genotoxicity assay was developed for samples from environments in which toxic organic compounds are largely sorbed. The assay entails measurement of the rate of mutation of a strain of Pseudomonas putida to rifampicin resistance. The ratio of induced to spontaneous mutants was a function of the concentration of a test mutagen in soil. In studies of the utility of the assay in samples amended with 2‐aminofluorene as a test mutagen, the ratio of induced to spontaneous mutants declined with time. The decline paralleled the disappearance of extractable 2‐aminofluorene from the soil. The ratio of induced to spontaneous mutants also fell in four other soils with dissimilar properties. We suggest that this solid‐phase assay is more appropriate for the estimation of genotoxicants sorbed in soil than assays involving extractants or suspensions of soil or sediment samples.