Mutagenic Activity (Ames Test) of Wood-Preserving Waste Sludge Applied to Soil

Abstract

In both laboratory (McGinnis et al. 1988; Aprill et al. 1990) and field soiltreatability studies (Brown et al. 1985a), the majority of hazardousconstituents present in creosote/pentachlorophenol (PCP) bottomsediment sludges have been rendered less toxic after undergoingdegradation or transformation.However, the present investigators,utilizing the Ames test to monitor potential detoxification of creosote/PCPsludge constituents during field land treatment studies, observed apersistent mutagenic residue remaining in surface soil a year or moreafter the sludge was applied (Donnelly et al. 1987; Barbee et al. 1992).Not surprisingly therefore, surface runoff from soils amended withcreosote/PCP bottom sediment sludge also displayed significant levels ofAmes test mutagenic activity even 360 days after sludge application(Davol et al. 1989). It was estimated that three or more years would berequired for the mutagenic activity of runoff water discharging from landtreated sludge to return to background levels. In addition, after one yearof treatment water soluble fractions and leachate extracted from acreosote sludge/soil mixture produced a toxic response in the Microtox