OZONATION OF MUTAGENIC AND CARCINOGENIC POLYAROMATIC AMINES AND POLYAROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN WATER

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (6) , 2149-2154
Abstract
The Salmonella-microsome assay for mutagenesis was used to determine the effect of ozone on the mutageneis of selected carcinogens and mutagens in water. Short periods of ozonation were shown to completely inactivate the mutagenicity of several polyaromatic amine mutagens including acriflavine, proflavine and .beta.-naphthylamine. Selected polyaromatic hydrocarbons were also sensitive to ozonation. Kinetic studies revealed that the mutagenicity of benzo(a)pyrene, 3-methylcholanthrene, and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene was destroyed after short periods of ozonation. To correlate loss of mutagenicity with loss of carcinogenicity, 2 polyaromatic hydrocarbons were treated with ozone, extracted from water with hexane, and tested for carcinogenicity in mice. When 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and 3-methylcholanthrene were treated with ozone, there was a substantial reduction in carcinogenicity compared to control groups treated with oxygen alone. A small number of tumors developed in the group of animals receiving a hexane extract of ozonated 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene. This activity may be due to breakdown products of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene that are not mutagenic.