Assessment of mutagenic activity in drinking water from Sao Paulo City, Brazil

During the last decade, studies carried out in several countries throughout the world have disclosed the presence of halogenated hydrocarbons and other potentially carcinogenic compounds in drinking water, causing public concern with respect to the quality of drinking water. Considering this problem, chlorinated drinking water from seven water treatment plants in Sao Paulo and from its water sources were tested for mutagenicity in the Ames/Salmonella assay. Different volumes of raw and treated waters were concentrated by XAD-2 resin, and eluted in methanol and methylene chloride. Organic extracts ressuspended in DMSO were assayed for dose response in Salmonella typhimrium strains TA98 and TA100, with and without metabolic activation, using the plate incorporation technique. Results showed higher incidence of mutagenic activity in water samples after chlorination than in raw water. The majority of positive responses were decreased by addition of metabolic activation, confirming the presence of direct-acting mutagens, produced during water chlorination, although significant mutagenicity was also observed in the presence of S9. Mutagenic levels ranged from 104 to 569 revertants/L in raw water, and in chlorinated drinking water, between 10 and 418 revertants/L. Based on the results obtained in this study, it is essential to study and identify mutagenic compounds evolving from the chlorination processes, and to determine, for water treatment plants with high incidence of mutagenic compounds, the procedures to avoid or eliminate this problem, as well as to establish an effective monitoring program