Problems associated with the application of short‐term tests for mutagenicity in mass‐screening programs

Abstract

During the past ten years we have made a great deal of progress toward the general acceptance of the need for mass-screening programs to identify environmental chemicals with mutagenic activity. At every meeting of this society new examples are given of mutagens to which substantial portions of the population are exposed. But as a group we are still wrestling with the problem of the development of an effective mechanism for such testing on a still larger scale. It is the problems associated with the development of these mass-screening programs that I want to bring to your attention this afternoon.