PHOTOCHEMICAL DECOMPOSITION OF ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS IN WATER AFTER UV-IRRADIATION - INVESTIGATION OF POSITIVE MUTAGENIC EFFECTS

It should be investigated whether UV-disinfection of natural and conta minated organic substances in surface and drinking water may generate a positive mutagenic effect. selected organic pesticides (atrazine, si mazine, metobromurone, methabenzthiazurone, dichlorprop) and organic c ompounds naturally present in water (phenylalanine, tyrosine, polysacc harides) were examined in Ames-test (bacterial strains TA 98 and TA 10 0) and sister chromatid exchange (SCE)-test (V79 cells) before and aft er UV-irradiation. UV-irradiation with low- and high-pressure mercury vapor lamps was carried out in parallel experiments. Based on results in Ames- and SCE-test a mutagenic activity was not obtained for all sa mples, neither before nor after UV-irradiation.