Comparison of the Ames II and traditional Ames test responses with respect to mutagenicity, strain specificities, need for metabolism and correlation with rodent carcinogenicity.

The Ames II Salmonella mutagenicity assay procedure was used to test 71 chemicals, and the results were compared with those from the traditional Ames Salmonella test using the NTP database as the reference. All Ames II tests were performed using a fluctuation procedure in microplate format, using TAMix for the detection of base pair substitutions and TA98 to detect frameshift mutations. There was 84% agreement between the two procedures in identifying mutagens and non-mutagens, which is equivalent to the intra- and interlaboratory reproducibility of 87% for the traditional test.

Benzene and its methyl-derivatives: derivation of maximum exposure levels in automobiles.

Automobile drivers are exposed to several organic hydrocarbons. Concentrations measured in passenger compartments have been reported to range between 13 and 560 microg/m(3) for benzene, 33-258 microg/m(3) for toluene, 20-250 microg/m(3) for xylene (mixed isomers) and 3-23 microg/m(3) for trimethylbenzene (mixed isomers). These aromatic hydrocarbons are emitted from gasoline and from materials inside a car.