The mutagenic activity of sidestream cigarette smoke particles was estimated by testing sidestream cigarette smoke particles which had been collected under controlled burning conditions in the laboratory. Two different extraction methods (Soxhlet and ultrasonic agitation) and 3 different solvents (dichloromethane, methanol, and acetone) were compared for their efficiencies in the extraction of compounds from sidestream cigarette smoke particles which are mutagenic in the Ames test. The mutagenic activity of the sidestream smoke particles was estimated to be 15,000-20,000 revertants per cigarette in TA98 with metabolic activation and 12,000-17,000 revertants per cigarette in TA100 without metabolic activation. (Copyright (c) 1987 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (Biomedical Division).)