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MUTAGENIC POTENTIAL OF MUNICIPAL SEWAGE SLUDGE AND SLUDGE AMENDED SOIL
Citation:
Donnelly, K., K. Brown, AND C. Chisum. MUTAGENIC POTENTIAL OF MUNICIPAL SEWAGE SLUDGE AND SLUDGE AMENDED SOIL. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-87/259.
Description:
Twelve municipal wastewater treatment plant sludges were collected and extracted by sequential extraction with methylene chloride and methanol on a Soxhlet apparatus. Each of three sludge fractions, i.e., methylene chloride, methanol, and a combined fraction (36 fractions total) were tested in the Salmonella/microsome assay. Only one of the sludge fractions induced a positive response in the absence of metabolic activation, and 12 fractions induced a doubling of revertant colonies at two or more consecutive dose levels with activation. The maximum mutagenic response observed with strain TA98 in a methylene chloride fraction was 120 net revertants at a dose level of 10 mg of extract per plate. The maximum response induced by the methanol and combined fractions was 89 net revertants, induced by a municipal sludge with 20% industrial contribution, and 61 net revertants, induced by a municipal sludge with 19% industrial contribution, respectively, both tested with strain TA98 at a dose level of 5 mg of extract per plate. These results indicate that there will be substantial differences in the mutagenic potential of municipal sludges from a single source and from different sources.