title: Test systems for mutagenicity screening of environmental chemicals and their relevance for the evaluation of genetic hazards to man.
abstract: Mutagenicity test systems play a dual role in public health: (1) to identify chemicals in our environment that are capable of causing genetic alterations and thus pose a threat of genetic damage to generations yet unborn and (2) as a faster screen (than many of the conventional carcinogenicity tests) to identify chemicals with carcinogenic potentials. In this paper the different mutagenicity test systems currently available are reviewed together with a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages. It is argued that our current data base does not permit a realistic quantitative assessment of genetic hazards ensuing from exposure to environmental chemicals and that only qualitative conclusions are possible. A framework which may be useful in the context of the latter is briefly outlined.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D001826:Body Fluids; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004260:DNA Repair; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D004586:Electrophoresis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009154:Mutation; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants