WOODSMOKE: MEASUREMENT OF THE MUTAGENIC ACTIVITIES OF ITS GAS AND PARTICULATE PHASE PHOTOOXIDATION PRODUCTS.

Recently there has been increased evidence that wood combustion represents a significant source of respirable particulate matter and of gas phase pollutants, particularly in residential areas. There have been a number of studies recently in which the mutagenic activity of wood smoke has been measured. These studies have focused entirely on the particulate phase components, with a great deal of emphasis on the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) components. We have recently demonstrated that sample gas phase hydrocarbons (e. g. propylene, toluene) can be converted to mutagenic products during the course of their photooxidation. Since wood smoke contains a variety of gas phase reactive hydrocarbons, including propylene and toluene, it would seem reasonable to consider the gas phase components of wood smoke in any assessment of its potential health impact. In the study reported here, a modified version of the Ames test is used to determine (1) the extent to which atmospheric chemistry can increase or decrease the mutagenic activity of wood smoke, and (2) the relative mutagenic activity of the gas and particulate phase components.