Mutagenicity of river water in Korea

In three rivers flowing through Korea, the Ames test was used to clarify the distribution and characteristics of mutagens in water samples. The rivers were the NakDong, the East NakDong, and the West NakDong. Sampling was performed using the blue rayon suspension method, which is described. Results showed that the NakDong River, which flows through an industrial district, was markedly mutagenic, while the other two rivers, which flow through a residential and an agricultural district, respectively, were not. The primary mutation type was a frame shift.