Abstract
Ames tests conducted on a range of oils and oil products (Kuwait crude, Saran Gach crude, Diesel 25, Bunker C, used motor oil) confirmed the mutagenicity of used (crankcase) motor oil. The other oils, when tested whole, were either toxic or showed no significant mutagenicity. Water-soluble fractions (WSF) of all products, including WSF of used crankcase oil, also gave no significant indication of mutagenicity. However, in several tests (including both whole oils and WSF-preparations) MR values (ratio of induced revertants to spontaneous revertants) between 1.3 and 1.8 were obtained which, while not significantly indicative of mutagenicity, exceeded non-mutagenic background levels.In contrast to the non-mutagenicity of the whole Kuwait crude oil, parallel assays of chromatographically obtained fractions showed significant mutagenicity in the F4 (acetone or methanol) fraction (presumed to be a strongly polar, DMSO-soluble large molecular weight component of Kuwait crude). This mutagenicity was not enhanced by metabolic activation. None of the other fractions showed evidence of mutagenicity. However, marked toxicity was associated with the F1 (hexane) fraction of the oil.The data suggest that low mutagenicity scores of crude oils and oil products could result from the masking of mutagenic activity of some components by the toxicity of other components of these products.
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