Mutagenicity studies with urine concentrates from coke plant workers.

Abstract

Urine from coke plant workers, collected before and after work, were tested for content of mutagenic substances in Salmonella typhimurium test system. Urine extracts from exposed smokers showed mutagenic activity; urine from exposed nonsmokers did not. Mutagenicity of exposed smokers urine was not significantly different from that of urine from nonexposed smokers. Mutagenicity of smokers urine was only evident in the presence of a rat liver metabolic activation system. Addition of .beta.-glucuronidase did not enhance mutagenic effect. Coke plant workers were exposed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and there was no observed enhanced mutagenicity of their urine indicating that mutagenicity observed with urine from smokers was not due to conventional PAH.