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Ozonation of Mutagenic and Carcinogenic Alkylating Agents, Pesticides, Aflatoxin B₁, and Benzidine in Water¹

Lobund Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556

The effect of ozonation on the mutagenicity of selected chemicals in water was determined. The use of the Salmonella-microsome assay for mutagenesis allowed kinetic studies to be performed on the ozonation of all chemicals tested. The results indicate that the mutagenicity of certain pesticides, including captan and Dexon, was inactivated by short periods of ozonation. The mutagenicity of certain alkylating agents including bis(2-chloroethyl)amine and sodium azide was rapidly inactivated by ozonation while other alkylating agents such as ß-propiolactone, propanesultone, and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine were unaffected by treatment with ozone. The mutagenicity of aflatoxin B₁ was rapidly inactivated by treatment with ozone. Three chemicals were shown to be converted to direct mutagens by ozone treatment. Under certain conditions, dimethylhydrazine could be converted to a mutagen that was stable for 3 weeks. A similar chemical, 2-hydroxyethylhydrazine, was converted to an unstable mutagen that was inactive after 24 hr at room temperature. When benzidine was treated with ozone, there was a transient increase in mutagenicity which was lost after longer treatment with ozone.

¹ Supported by a grant from Telecommunications Industries, Inc., Ecology Division, Lindenhurst, N. Y.

² Present address: Department of Microbiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass. 02115.

³ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 7/31/78. Accepted 3/13/79.