Mutagenic and clastogenic effects of organic extracts from the Athenian drinking water.

Organic extracts of chlorinated drinking water collected from the water distribution system of Athens, Greece, were tested in parallel for their ability to cause mutations in the Salmonella His+ reversion system and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and chromosomal aberrations in CHO cells. They were found to induce His+ revertants in frequencies similar to those detected previously with drinking water extracts from other areas around the world. We observe that organic samples from surface drinking water induce SCE and chromatid type abnormalities in CHO cell cultures while samples collected from ground drinking water did not. These findings confirm that chlorinated surface drinking water contains substances which are mutagenic and clastogenic and may be carcinogenic in humans.