Thiol Reactivity Analyses To Predict Mammalian Cell Cytotoxicity of Water Samples.

An in chemico high throughput assay based on N-acetylcysteine was developed and used in conjunction with previous and new mammalian cell cytotoxicity data. Our objective was to derive an empirical equation with confidence levels for mammalian cell cytotoxicity prediction. Modeling data included 16 unique sources of waters and wastewaters of distinct water qualities to encompass a wide range of real environmental samples. This approach provides a quick screen to identify those water and wastewaters that could be prioritized for in depth analytical biological analyses and toxicity. The resulting model can serve as a preliminary convenient tool to screen for potential mammalian cell cytotoxicity in organic extracts of a wide variety of water samples.