Sunlight Activation of Shale-Oil Byproducts as Measured by Genotoxic Effects in Cultured Chinese Hamster Cells

摘要

Activation of certain classes of promutagens/procarcinogens can be accomplished by exposure to various radiation sources. Retort processes currently in use in the production of shale oil generate significant quantities of process waters which contain a wide spectrum of uv-absorbing, organic material. Photoactivation of these waters with an artificial source of NUV results in genotoxic events in cultured mammalian cells. Since significant amounts (2 to 4%) of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface is NUV, we were concerned about potential biological effects resulting from solar-irradiated waste streams. This paper summarizes new and previously published data concerning the induction of both cytotoxicity and mutagenicity in cultured Chinese hamster cells (line CHO) after their exposure to a particular oil shale retort process water and natural sunlight.