Fractionation of an Oil-Shale Retort Process Water: Isolation of Photoactive Genotoxic Components

摘要

In this report recent data concerning attempts to fractionate and to chemically identify photoactive, genotoxic components in a particularly bioactive oil shale retort process water are presented. Liquid-liquid extraction methods and reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed in the fractionation scheme and individual samples were assessed for potential photo-induced toxicity and mutagenicity in cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. For comparison, these fractionated water samples were also assessed for mutagenic potential using the Salmonella histidine reversion assay with microsomal activation (Ames et al., 1975). The photoactive fractions of the process water have been analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to define their chemical composition. Several classes of chemical compounds, including alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, aldehydes, amides and ketones are prevalent and most likely contribute to the photo-induced genotoxic potential of this oil shale retort process water.