Extraction of Mutagens from Chlorinated Poultry Chiller Water

Poultry chiller water (PCW) was used as a model to study the formation of mutagens that can result from chlorinating waters of high organic content. The Ames Salmonella mutagenicity test was used to evaluate solvent extracts of PCW. Pentane gave satisfactory extraction of mutagens without the emulsion problem encountered with dichloromethane, permitting the use of pentane in continuous extractors. Use of thiosulfate to remove residual chlorine in samples resulted in low mutagenicity. Mutagens were formed within minutes of chlorination and continued to change in amount during the next 1-2 hr. Mutagen formation was affected by pH and was proportional to chlorine dosage.