Airborne mutagens bioassayed in Salmonella typhimurium

Particulate airborne pollutants, collected in Buffalo, New York, and Berkeley, California, were asayed for mutagenic activity in the Ames Salmonella typhimurium test system. Mutagens requiring liver enzymes for activation, as well as direct acting mutagens, were readily detected in the Buffalo sample. By contrast, only direct acting mutagens were detected in the Berkeley sample.