Determinación de la mutagenicidad de sustancias migradas desde recipientes plásticos de bajo costo comercializados en Villavicencio (Meta) mediante test Ames

Abstract

The presence of mutagenic substances in the plastic materials used in everyday life, specifically in those intended for contact with food and beverages, may become a problem for public health and the environment, due to adverse effects on the human health mainly related to DNA damage, cardiovascular problems, fertility disorders, neurological disorders, among other diseases, as well as soil degradation, underground water sources and the alteration of environmental receptors such as microorganisms, plants and animals.

Due to this problem, the present investigation evaluated the mutagenicity index of water in contact with low-cost plastic containers, used for transport, storage and heating, commercialized in the city of Villavicencio (Meta), in contrast with use and type of container. The Ames test was used as a method of identifying the mutagenicity index of the obtained samples. For the statistical treatment of the data, the Student's t-test and the analysis of variance ANOVA with the Tukey's HSD test were used.

The Ames test was carried out with Salmonella typhimurium, following the protocol described by Ames et al. (1975) The test included positive and negative controls and was carried out without metabolic activation. All tests were applied in triplicate. The spontaneous reversion rates remained within normal values. Mutagenicity index ranged between 0.74 and 1.52, obtaining values labeled as "Non-mutagenic" or "Slightly mutagenic" according to the analysis scale. it can be inferred that mutagenicity index can be related to the normal wear to which these recipients are exposed, based on the relationship between the number of heating applied and the mutagenicity index obtained. Likewise, the influence of the physical characteristics of the container on the increase in the mutagenicity index was statistically verified, considering that containers made with polypropylene, transparent and labeled as BPA-free, are the most appropriate.