Utilization of electrochemically generated ozone in the degradation and detoxication of benzo[a]pyrene

The ability of electrochemically generated ozone (O-3) to degrade and detox ify the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was asse ssed utilizing the chick embryotoxicity screening test (CHEST) and Hydra at tenuata bioassays. Aqueous solutions containing 10 mu g/ml BaP and 0.5% (v/ v) acetonitrile were subjected to ozonolysis for 0 to 30 min. Rapid degrada tion of BaP was evident by both gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS ) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. HPLC fluoresc ence detection revealed no BaP shortly after 5 min of ozonolysis, while HPL C with PDA detection demonstrated continued reactions with ozone over the 3 0-min time course. As little as 2 min of O-3 treatment afforded protection from BaP-induced mortality and toxicity (embryolethality and liver discolor ation) in the chicken embryos. In the hydra bioassay, no toxicity was obser ved in the adult hydra until the ozonolysis products were reconstituted 100 -fold from their initial post-ozonolysis concentrations. The results obtain ed from this study clearly demonstrate the potential application of electro chemically generated O-3 for the detoxication and prevention of toxicity of BaP. Both CHEST and hydra assays predict that the ozonolysis products of B aP are less toxic than the parent compound.