title: A preliminary characterization of the mutagenicity of atmospheric particulate matter collected during sugar cane harvesting using the Salmonella/microsome microsuspension assay.
abstract: During sugar cane harvesting season, which occurs from May to November of each year, the crops are burnt, cut, and transported to the mills. There are reports showing that mutagenic activity and PAH content increase during harvesting season in some areas of São Paulo State in comparison with nonharvesting periods. The objective of this work was to preliminarily characterize the mutagenic activity of the total organic extracts as well as corresponding organic fractions of airborne particulate matter (PM) collected twice from two cities, Araraquara (ARQ) and Piracicaba (PRB), during sugar cane harvesting season using the Salmonella/microsome microssuspension assay. One sample collected in São Paulo metropolitan area was also included. The mutagenicity of the total extracts ranged from 55 to 320 revertants per cubic meter without the addition of S9 and from not detected to 57 revertants per cubic meter in the presence of S9 in areas with sugar cane plantations. Of the three fractions analyzed, the most polar ones (nitro and oxy) were the most potent. A comparison of the response of TA98 with YG1041 and the increased potencies without S9 indicated that nitro compounds are causing the observed effect. More studies are necessary to verify the sources of the mutagenic activity such as burning of vegetal biomass and combustion of heavy duty vehicles used to transport the sugar cane to the mills. The Salmonella/microsome assay can be an important tool to monitor the atmosphere for mutagenicity during sugar cane harvesting season.
authors.affiliation: CETESB-Cia de Tecnologia de Saneamento Ambiental, Av. Prof. Frederico Hermann Jr., 345, 05459-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. giselav@cetesbnet.sp.gov.br
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Aragão Umbuzeiro
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Dulce
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.forename: Francisco José Viana
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.forename: Fábio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kummrow
authors.forename: Célia Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rech
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rothschild Franco de Carvalho
authors.forename: Pérola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Castro Vasconcellos
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D001938:Brazil; D008861:Microsomes; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity*; D031786:Saccharum; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D009153:Mutagens; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons