Evaluation of mutagenicity of wastewater in the vicinity of pesticide industry

Pesticide industrial wastewater samples were taken from the Chinhat industrial area nearby Lucknow city, India. GC–MS analysis revealed the presence of pesticides lindane, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, chlorpyriphos, monocrotophos, dimethoate and malathion. A pesticide mixture and wastewater extracts were studied to determine the mutagenicity by Ames Salmonella test, survival of DNA repair defective E. coli K-12 mutants and bacteriophage λ systems. Wastewater samples were concentrated with XAD-resins as an adsorbent and liquid–liquid extraction procedure. The XAD concentrated sample exhibited maximum mutagenic activity in comparison to liquid–liquid extracted sample. TA98 strain was the most responsive strain for both test samples with (+S9) and without (−S9) metabolic activation, while other strains exhibited weak response. A significant decline of DNA repair defective E. coli K-12 mutants, bacteriophage λ was observed with test samples in the survival. The intracellular damage was highest when treated with XAD concentrated sample as compared to liquid–liquid extract after 6 h treatment.

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► Wastewater was concentrated using XAD-resins and liquid–liquid extraction.
► TA98 was most responsive strain for test samples in the presence and absence of S9.
► In terms of mutagenic index, Mi and slope (m), XAD – samples was more mutagenic.