Bactericidal effects of photochemical smog constituents produced by a flow reactor. III. Communication: determination of mutagenic effects of photochemical smog on E. coli K 12 343/113.

The multipurpose strain E. coli K12 343/113 allows the simultaneous detection of different DNA alterations such as base-pair changes, frameshifts and deletions. The investigations show the detection of mutagenic potency in the mixture which is called photochemical smog, produced by a flow reactor. Responsible for these effects were ozone and hydrocarbon-radicals, but not NOx, hydrocarbons (propene, isobutene, trans-2-butene) and peroxiacetylnitrate (PAN). In the given conditions these mutagenic substances are involved in DNA alterations like base-pair changes and deletions due to the amounts of colonies in the gal+-, MTR-, and arg+-system. No frameshifts could be detected in the nad+-system.