Ozonation of mutagenic and carcinogenic alkylating agents, pesticides, aflatoxin B1, and benzidine in water.

The effect of ozonation on the mutagenicity of selected chemicals in water was determined. The use of the Salmonella-microsome assay for mutagensis 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 beta-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.