title: Testing for mutagens in an aluminium plant. The results of Salmonella typhimurium tests on urine from exposed workers.
abstract: Urine concentrates from workers in a Söderberg potroom and an anode paste plant were tested for mutagenicity by the Salmonella reversion assay. The study is aimed at group exposure as an indicator of the effect of the work atmosphere. Urine from exposed smokers showed mutagenic activity, whereas urine from exposed non-smokers did not. The mutagenicity of exposed smokers' urine was not significantly different from the urine from non-exposed smokers. Significant mutagenicity of smokers' urine was evident only in the presence of a rat-liver metabolic system. Since an earlier expectorate analysis has shown that mutagens from the work atmosphere are deposited in the workers' respiration system and the urine analysis does not show any effect of occupational exposure, it is likely that the mutagens are eliminated from the body via other routes than renal excretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krøkje
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiltnes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mylius
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gullvåg
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000535:Aluminum; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000652:urine*; D009790:Occupations; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects*; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D009153:Mutagens; D000535:Aluminum