The tumor-producing effect of automobile exhaust condensate and fractions thereof. Part I: chemical studies.

The criteria of a biological detection system discriminating carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic fractions of a mixture are discussed. Automobile exhaust gas condensate (in total 545.5 g) produced by a passenger car during the Europa driving cycle was separated into fractions with and without polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by liquid-liquid distribution between methanol + water / cyclohexane and cyclohexane + nitromethane, respectively. This fractionation was chosen because of the general experience that PAH are highly potent carcinogens. To prove whether other non-PAH contribute to the total carcinogenic effect, these had to be separated from the PAH-containing fraction. Carbazol and acridine derivatives as well as aromatic amines remain predominantly in the PAH-free methanolic phase.