The AMES test in environmental and occupational medicine

The authors review the use of the gene mutation test on Salmonella typhimurium, better known as the Ames test, in environmental and occupational health. This test, which was originally intended as a predictive test of the carcinogenicity of chemical substances, has been widely applied in in vitro screening of complex mixtures of substances present in the environment and in the biological monitoring of high risk populations. Data are reported on the main environmental exposures that were positive with the Ames test and it is stressed how this biological assay has contributed to the identification of new classes of genotoxic compounds (nitropyrenes, mutagen X). The Ames test performed on extracts of human urine was used to study exposure to carcinogenic substances in the working environment. Many occupational exposures can cause an increase in mutagenic activity in the exposed subjects (cytostatic drugs, rubber manufacture, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). It is recommended to restrict the use of the urinary mutagenesis test to group studies and carefully check confounding factors (e.g., smoking and diet).