Use of orbitrap-MS/MS and QSAR analyses to estimate mutagenic transformation products of iopamidol generated during ozonation and chlorination.

The effects of two water purification processes (ozonation, and chlorination after ozonation) on the mutagenicity of a solution containing iopamidol (X-ray contrast medium) were investigated by using the Ames assay. No mutagenicity was observed during ozonation. In contrast, mutagenicity was induced by the ozone-treated iopamidol-containing solution after subsequent chlorination, indicating that mutagenic transformation-products (TPs) were generated.

Changes in mutagenicity and acute toxicity of solutions of iodinated X-ray contrast media during chlorination.

In the present study, the effects of chlorination on the mutagenicity (assessed via the Ames assay) and acute toxicity (assessed via a bioluminescence inhibition assay) of solutions containing one of five commonly used iodinated X-ray contrast media (ICM) (iopamidol, iohexol, iopromide, iomeprol, and diatrizoate) were investigated. Of the five ICM tested, only iopamidol was degraded by chlorine. Chlorination of the iopamidol-containing solution induced both mutagenicity and acute toxicity, which increased with chlorination time (up to 96 h).