MONITORING NITRITE, N-NITROSODIETHANOLAMINE, AND MUTAGENICITY IN CUTTING FLUIDS USED IN THE METAL-INDUSTRY

We carried out an integrated environmental/biological monitoring progr am to evaluate cancer hazards among metal industry workers exposed to cutting fluids. Several cutting fluids were sampled according to respo nse to a semiquantitative nitrite rapid rest in metal factories in cen tral Italy. The nitrite-positive samples were analyzed for nitrite and nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA) content and mutagenic activity. The nit rite-negative samples were analyzed only for mutagenicity. Of the tota l samples, 20.6% were nitrite positive, and all contained NDELA. Howev er, nitrite content was not quantitatively practice of the NDELA conte nt, which varied enormously among samples (0.3-1900 mg/kg). Nitrite-ne gative samples were always nonmutagenic. Mutagenicity was found in hal f the NDELA-containing samples but was not related to nitrite or NDELA content. Nitrite screening of cutting fluids in the field is an inter esting method for identifying samples that potentially contain NDELA a nd other unknown mutagens and, when performed with short-term mutageni city tests, nitrite screening seems to be a valid tool by which indust rial managers and health officers could minimize the health hazards as sociated with occupational exposure to cutting fluids.