Mutagenic activity in drinking water in the Netherlands a survey and a correlation study

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Abstract
An inventory on the presence of mutagenic activity (Ames test) in 18 cities (20 drinking water types) was carried out in The Netherlands. Fourteen drinking water types of twenty showed mutagenic activity in the Ames test in volumes varying from 0.5 to 3 litre. Classifying these cities to their water source it appeared that only three of the fifteen cities which prepare their drinking water from surface water or a mixture of surface and ground water, did not show mutagenic activity. Two of the five cities which use ground water as water source showed mutagenic activity although; in one city the activity was marginal. Correlating some chemical parameters in drinking water with mutagenic activity of organic drinking water concentrates revealed, that AOC1 showed the highest correlation with the direct mutagenic activity in strain TA 98 and TA 100. From these data concentration levels of chemical parameters were calculated above which a doubling of revertants may be expected. Finally it was also shown that a chlorine treatment applied during drinking water preparation correlated well with the direct mutagenic activity in strain TA 98 and TA 100.