[Mutagenicity of 3 organic fractions of atmospheric dust and gas chromatographic analysis of the basic fraction].

Suspended particulate matter (PM) with a Dae less than 0.4 micron was collected from July 1981 till January 1982. The ether/benzene soluble extract (EEOM) and the acidic, basic and neutral fractions were determined and investigated for their mutagenic activities in the Ames bioassay. In addition particles (Dae) less than 10.2 micron derived in January were investigated. Five compounds of the basic fraction were determined by gaschromatography. The following results were obtained: Suspended particulate matter (Dae less than 0.4 micron) and the ether/benzene extract increase from July to January. The lowest rates occur in July (PM: 16.9 micron/m3) and August (EEOM: 3.0 micrograms/m3), the highest in January (PM: 48.9 micrograms/m3, EEOM: 10.5 micrograms/m3). The ether/benzene soluble portion of the suspended particulate matter increases from the average rate of 16.3% (July-September) to 22.7% (November-January). The neutral fraction amounts to 44.9%, the acidic fraction to 27.3% and the basic fraction to 3.5% of the organic matter (on an average). In experiments with metabolic activation 99% of the total mutagenicity during the period of July till September can be demonstrated by summing up the mutagenicity of the three fractions on the other hand only 59.7% from November till January. The EEOMs derived from winter exhibit without metabolic activation (250 micrograms/plate) distinctively higher numbers of revertants than the single fractions. Dose-response curves of extracts derived from back-up filters (Dae less than 0.4 micron) in January show that the acidic fraction has a slightly higher mutagenic activity than the neutral fraction (mean values of tests with and without S9-mix). The basic fraction shows no mutagenicity without S9-mix, with activation the mutagenic activity is lower than that of the other fractions. Mutagenicity expressed as rev./m3 air shows, that the neutral fraction is most efficient. The number of revertants per plate reveals-in relation to the particle size-different results concerning the three fractions (January).