Using the Salmonella assay to delineate the dispersion routes of mutagenic compounds from coal wastes in contaminated soil.
The mutagenicity of acidic and organic extracts of surface soil under the influence of a coal-fired power plant was evaluated by Salmonella/microsome assay using strains TA97a, TA98 and TA100 in the absence and presence of exogenous metabolic systems (S9 mix). Additionally, strains YG1041 and YG1042 (sensitive to nitroderivatives) were used for the organic extracts. In general, the responses were higher in the organic extracts in the presence of S9 mix. The comparison between strains TA98 and TA100 and their derived strains YG1041 and YG1042, respectively, allowed the detection of the presence of nitro-aromatic compounds in some sampling areas, which was confirmed by chemical analysis. The interpretation of the set of mutagenesis data suggests that there are two important mutagenic compound dispersion routes in the area of study: frameshift mutagens were dispersed predominantly by runoff and leaching, while base-pair substitution mutagens were dispersed mainly by the atmosphere. This mutagenic damage might be attributed to the effects of several substances detected in the area, such as aliphatic hydrocarbons and the metals aluminum, cadmium, lead and iron.
da Silva Júnior
Flavio Manoel Rodrigues
FM
Programa de Pesquisas Ambientais, Fundação Estadual de Proteção Ambiental Henrique Luís Roessler (FEPAM), Avenida Salvador França, 1707, CEP 90690-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Vargas
Vera Maria Ferrão
VM
D001938:Brazil; D003031:Coal / Q000633:toxicity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011210:Power Plants; D012475:Salmonella / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*
D003031:Coal; D007220:Industrial Waste; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009153:Mutagens; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants