title: Organic toxicants and mutagens in ashes from eighteen municipal refuse incinerators.
abstract: Ashes, obtained from about one-fourth of the operating municipal refuse incinerators in the United States, were analyzed for a range of organic toxicants and mutagens. Thirty percent of the ash samples, which consisted of bottom ash or bottom ash-fly ash mixtures, contained 20-74% organic matter. Thirty percent of the ashes contained direct-acting and/or promutagens which revertedSalmonella typhimurium TA98 or TA100. Sixty percent of the ashes contained more than 5 ng/g of polychlorinated biphenyls. The concentration of tetra- and pentachlorinated biphenyls were higher than the mono-, di-, hepta- and octachlorinated biphenyls. A similar distribution of congeners was seen in polychlorinated dibenzodioxins found in the ashes. The major volatileN-nitroso compounds found in the ashes wereN-nitrosodimethylamine andN-nitrosomorpholine. Other classes of compounds which were found in the ashes included chlorinated benzenes, phthalates, and substituted benzothiophenes.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Studies, Louisiana State University, 70803, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Shane
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hotchkiss
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Klausner
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Gutenmann
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lisk