Mutagenicity and genotoxicity of water boiled in aluminum pots of different duration of use using SOS chromotest and Ames fluctuation test.

Boiling water before drinking or using it for cooking is a general practice especially in areas where portable water is not readily available. However, boiling water in an aluminum pot could be a route of entry of heavy metals into humans. This study assessed the genotoxic and mutagenic potential of boiled water samples from aluminum pots of different duration of use using the SOS chromotest on Escherichia coli PQ37 and the Ames fluctuation test on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100, respectively. Three aluminum pots from the same manufacturer but of different years of use (6-year-old, 3-year-old, and new aluminum pots) were used for the experiment. Six selected heavy metals (Cadmium, Copper, Arsenic, Nickel, Lead, and Aluminum) were also analyzed in the samples using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS Buck, Scientific model 210 VGP). Cadmium, Copper, Arsenic, Nickel, Lead, and Aluminum were present in all the test water samples at concentrations that were higher than the maximum limit allowable by standard regulatory organizations. The concentrations of these metals in the samples also increased as the duration of use of the aluminum pots increased. The results further showed that the water boiled in the three aluminum pots is mutagenic and genotoxic in both Ames fluctuation and SOS chromotests. The 6-year-old aluminum pot induced the highest mutagenicity and genotoxicity followed by the 3-year-old aluminum pot. The metals in the tested samples were believed to be responsible for the observed mutagenicity and genotoxicity in the microbial assays. The findings of this study revealed that cooking with Aluminum pots could lead to the leaching of heavy metals into food, and pose mutagenic and genotoxic risks to consumers.