Lack of mutagens in urines of operating room personnel.

Mutagenic activity of urines obtained from operating room personnel was assayed in the Ames Salmonella/mammalian microsome system using three strains of histidine-dependent S. typhimurium, TA1535, TA1538, and TA100. Two procedures were employed. In the first, 100- and 200-microliter aliquots of urine obtained from 28 subjects working in either scavenged or unscavenged operating rooms were tested. In the second, urine samples obtained from 13 physicians before and after starting an anesthesia residency, as well as 250-fold concentrates of these samples, were assayed. There was no statistically significant difference in urinary mutagenic activities between individuals working in scavenged and those working in unscavenged operating rooms. Furthermore, urines of anesthesiologists collected before and after beginning training had similar mutagenic activities. Only heavy smokers had mutagenic urine. It was concluded that the majority of operating room workers do not excrete mutagens in the urine.