Quantifying the toxic and mutagenic activity of complex mixtures with Salmonella typhimurium.

The toxicity and mutagenicity of 11 compounds individually and in mixtures were quantified in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, and TA1537 by a modification of the Ames spot test. The distance (millimeters) from the center of the petri dish to the bacterial growth front represented the toxic response. When mutagenicity occurred, the distance from the inner radius to the outer radius of the mutagenic growth represented the mutagenic response. Multiple regression analysis was used to quantify the toxicity and mutagenicity of individual compounds in the mixtures. The results indicate that the effects of compounds in mixtures are generally additive.