Simulated Leachate of Soil from Petroleum, Diesel and Kerosene Dispensing Sites Induced DNA Damage using Ames Salmonella Test and SOS Chromo Test - Abstract
Indiscriminate location of petrol filling stations is of public health concern, as these filling stations are located around residential and agricultural areas. This study assessed
the mutagenicity of simulated leachate from soil collected from petrol, diesel and kerosene dispensing sites (sites 1, 2 and 3 respectively) in a petrol station by using two standard
microbial assays: the Salmonella reverse mutation assay (Ames test) and the E. coli SOS chromo assay. Physico-chemical parameters of the samples were also analyzed. The result of the Ames test showed mutagenicity of the test samples. The SOS Chromotest results were in agreement with those of the Ames Salmonella fluctuation test. The petrol dispensing site soil was the most mutagenic, followed by the diesel dispensing site and then kerosene dispensing site soils. The level of mutagenicity observed correlates with the level of the physic-chemical parameters analyzed. Fe, Cd, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn and Pb analyzed in the samples were believed to play significant role in the observed mutagenicity in the microbial assays. The results of this study showed that the simulated leachate from soil contaminated with petroleum products showed strong indication of a mutagenic risk. This should foster legislation about the location of petrol filling stations away from residential and agricultural areas.