To the genotoxicity of stack gas condensates of Bavarian waste incineration plants - II. Suitability of bacterial short time tests for the emission monitoring

The genotoxicity of stack gas condensates of 21 waste incineration plants ( located in Bavaria) was examined in the years 1990-1995 using two bacterial short time tests. The SOS chromotest was carried out with the tester strai ns Escherichia coli PQ37, PQ243 and PQ300. In addition, for the purpose of comparison, the Ames-Test was performed for selected examples with the test er strains Salmonella typhimurium TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA1537. In a pilot study, carried out in the years 1990 to 1991, the stack gas condensates fro m five plants were examined. They showed clear genotoxic and mutagenic effe cts. On the other hand, in subsequent tests we generally discovered only we ak inductions for 9 of 18 crude and 24 of 78 clean gas condensate extracts, mostly after metabolic activation. Four plants were tested continuously in the years 1992 to 1995. Three of th em showed a clear reduction of the detectable genotoxic potential. The four th one gave negligible SOS inducing emissions in the whole examining period . On the other hand, for 6 of the 21 tested plants we found chromotest posi tive results even at the last test point. Correlations between the SOS inducing potential of the stack gas condensate s and the analytical parameters detected at the same time (6 summary parame ters, 24 inorganic and 63 organic chemical parameters) were not evident. On ly the two highest emissions of nitropyrenes were associated with SOS induc tions. Organic substances which are not analytically detected or synergisti c effects might be responsible for the SOS inducing potency of the other ge notoxic stack gas condensates.