Abstract
The microsuspension assay developed by N.Y.Kado, which is a simple modification of the Ames test, is very useful in testing environmental samples of limited mass, because of its high sensitivity. The modification consists of adding 10 times more bacteria and 5 to 10 times less metabolic enzyme, compared to the plate incorporation method by Ames. This assay is approximately 10 times more sensitive than the original Ames test based on absolute amounts of samples added for determination.
In this paper, methodology of this assay and examples of environmental monitoring, especially exposure assessments by using urine, studies on airborne mutagens indoors and detections of mutagenic fractions by HPLC, were reviewed.
