Mutagenic activity of some coal-derived humic compounds evaluated by the Ames test

Two coal-derived humic substances (Sulcis and South Africa, Eniricerche, Italy) have been evaluated for their mutagenic activity on TA98 and TA100 Salmonella typhimurium strains, either in presence or in absence of metabolic activation (S9). Both compounds showed no effect on the two strains, as observed with natural humic acid (Fluka). After chlorination, coal-derived humic acids induced a strong dose-related increase in the number of revertants on TA100 without S9, whose extent was directly proportional to the chlorination ratios. Such effect was completely suppressed when a sodium thiosulfate solution (10%) was added at the end of the chlorination period (about 90 h). The analogies with natural humic acid mutagenicity are discussed.