SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1988
STP26718S

Mutagenic Potential of Municipal Sewage Sludge and Sludge Amended Soil

Source

Twelve municipal wastewater treatment plant sludges were collected and extracted by sequential extraction with methylene chloride and methanol on a Soxhlet apparatus. Each of three sludge fractions, methylene chloride, methanol, and a combined fraction (36 fractions total) was tested in the Salmonella/microsome assay. Only one of the sludge fractions induced a positive response in the absence of metabolic activation, and twelve fractions induced a doubling of revertant colonies at two or more consecutive dose levels with activation. The maximum mutagenic response observed with strain TA98 in a methylene chloride fraction was 120 net revertants at a dose level of 10 mg of extract per plate. The maximum response induced by the methanol and combined fractions was 89 net revertants, induced by a municipal sludge with 20% industrial contribution, and 61 net revertants, induced by a municipal sludge with 19% industrial contribution, respectively, both tested with strain TA98 at a dose level of 5 mg of extract per plate. These results indicate that there will be substantial differences in the mutagenic potential of municipal sludges from a single source and from different sources. The results of a land application study using one of these sludges indicates that some of these mutagenic compounds may be persistent in the soil.

Author Information

Donnelly, KC
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Brown, KW
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Chisum, CP
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
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Details
Developed by Committee: D19
Pages: 288–299
DOI: 10.1520/STP26718S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5047-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0987-2