Measurement of Biological Activity of Ambient Air Mixtures Using a Mobile Laboratory for in Situ Exposures: Preliminary Results from the Tradescantia Plant Test System

摘要

A variety of short-term bioassays has been developed to assess the mutagenicity of industrial chemicals. Many of these assays work well when used under laboratory conditions but are not suitable for monitoring ambient air under field conditions. To facilitate exposures of biological systems to ambient air pollution in natural or industrial sites a plan was implemented to design, assemble and test a mobile laboratory. The Tradescantia plant test system was chosen for these initial field studies because of its high sensitivity to both physical and chemical mutagens and its versatility and adaptability to monitoring the mutagenicity of gaseous pollutants. Positive results to date support the further development of the mobile laboratory and Tradescantia system as a useful method for monitoring biological activity of complex environmental mixtures in situ. (ERA citation 03:055827)