PROCEDURES FOR DESTRUCTION OF PATULIN IN LABORATORY WASTES

Patulin is immunosuppressive and there is limited evidence of its carc inogenicity in experimental animals. The International Agency for Rese arch on Cancer (IARC) initiated a programme for the development of deg radation techniques for the commonly investigated mycotoxins. As a par t of this programme, the following techniques were tested for the degr adation of patulin: treatment with ammonia, treatment with ascorbic ac id, and treatment with potassium permanganate in acidic or in alkaline conditions. Patulin analysis was performed by using HPLC with UV dete ction. Mutagenic activity of degradation residues was tested by in Sal monella typhimurium strains TA 97a, TA 98, TA 100, and TA 102. Complet e disappearance of patulin was not achieved after 92 h of treatment wi th ascorbic acid. All the other methods tested led to complete removal of the molecule. However, the technique using potassium permanganate in acidic conditions produced residues which were mutagenic without ac tivation to Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 100 and TA 102, which wa s attributed later to Mn2+. The two other techniques gave satisfactory results and were selected for further validation studies.