title: Mutagenicity and chemical analysis of airborne particulates from a rural area in Italy.
abstract: Mutagenic activities of a sample of characterized airborne particulates collected in a rural location near Ispra (Italy) during the summer of 1980 were detected by the Ames test using TA 1537, TA 1538, TA 98, and TA 100 Salmonella strains. Eight chemical classes fractionated from the CH2Cl2 extract of the particulates were bioassayed, and their mutagenicities (TA 98 plus S9) were as follows: organic bases I greater than polar neutrals greater than insolubles in cyclohexane greater than organic acid II greater than aerosol "in toto" greater than intermediate neutrals greater than polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons greater than organic acids I greater than nonpolar neutrals. Periodical samples were taken in the same location from March to December 1981, extracted in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and directly tested with TA 1537, TA 98, and TA 100 Salmonella strains. For all the strains the mutagenicity varied markedly according to the season, the cold-month samples being much more mutagenic than the summer-month samples. The additional of S9 increased the mutagenicity (twofold) of the cold-month samples. The higher mutagenicity of the samples collected during the cold months could be due to greater amounts of mutagens produced by the combustion processes of domestic heating.
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D007558:Italy; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009154:Mutation / Q000187:drug effects*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants