ABSTRACT

For assessing of the environmental contamination with potentially carcinogenic mutagens the possibility of the measurement of the mutagenic activity of the substances absorbed on dust suspended in air would be important. These substances include at least several hundreds of organic compounds. Only a small part of them have been studied in detail, and, on the other hand, it is known that at least a score of them are carcinogenic. Additionally, the prescence of some of them can change significantly the action of other ones. Because of that, the effects of a mixture of these substances should be studied as a whole. The fact that the discussed contaminants are present in the air and can be transported over great distances causes that they are dangerous to man both directly (when inhaled) and trough contamination of water, soil and food. Paraleli use in the described method of two cross-bred strains of fruit flies made possible separate assessment of the activity of mutagens and promutangens requiring activation in presence of cytochrome P 450. The use of the eukaryotic organism in which mutations are observed in many cells in one individual (about 2500) enables reliable data to be obtained about the degree of human health risk.