title: Detection of occupational and environmental exposures by bacterial mutagenesis assays of human body fluids.
abstract: Assays of human body fluids provide a means to document human exposure to mutagens in the environment. In contrast to measurements of ambient levels, these assays demonstrate absorption of mutagens and provide estimates of minimal systemic doses. For most studies reviewed here, specimens of urine were concentrated by adsorption to columns of XAD-2 resin or by liquid partition extraction prior to the mutagenesis assays. The resulting extracts most commonly were analyzed for mutagenicity using the Salmonella/mammalian microsomal plate assay. Less frequently used assays included bacterial fluctuation tests instead of the plate assay and assays for the induction of sister chromatid exchanges in cultured mammalian cells. In addition to reviewing literature reports where body fluids were tested, the advantages, disadvantages, and potential role of this approach will be briefly discussed and compared with other approaches to the identification of mutagenic hazards in the workplace.
mesh_terms: D001826:Body Fluids; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000652:urine; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D012475:Salmonella / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens