Chemical composition and potential 'genotoxic' aspects of polluted atmospheres.

The chemical composition of the gaseous, vapour and particulate phases of the atmosphere has been reported in terms of background, urban and highly polluted levels. Too little is known about the chemical composition of polluted atmospheres and other environments, and the situation will worsen as a result of the steadily increasing production of a wide variety of chemicals. This and other evidence presented in this paper indicates that the human race has not yet felt the full impact of the burgeoning chemical environment in terms of genotoxic effects. Some highly suggestive data from the literature have been presented to indicate that carcinogenesis and mutagenesis in human beings involve not only the attack of a primary genotoxicant, but that genetic factors, cofactors, antifactors and sometimes precursors can play important roles in the process of genotoxicity. Evidence has been presented to indicate that genotoxic effects are much more prevalent among human beings than is commonly believed. Since inherited effects arise from mutation of a germ cell, cancer probably from mutation of a somatic cell, atherosclerosis possibly from some mutagenic effect and the debilitating effects of some aspects of ageing possibly from a somatic mutation of the metabolic type, then mutagenesis in these four postulated types could be the overwhelmingly major cause of death in modern society.