TLC Fractionation and Characterization of Ames Mutagenic Substances in Chlorine-treated 4-methylphenol Solution in the Presence of Bromide Ion

The diethyl ether extracts from aqueous 4-methylphenol solutions in the presence of bromide ion after treatment with chlorine were mutagenic to the Ames salmonella test strain TA100 in the absence of rat liver homogenate. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) showed the occurrence of halogenated products in the extracts: bromo-4-methylphenols, bromo-4-methylquinones and brominated 4-methylphenol dimers. The diethyl ether extracts were fractionated into several fractions by polyamide thin-layer chromatography (TLC) . The fractionated components were examined for mutagenicity by means of Ames assays, and were identified by GC/MS. TLC fraction of the extracts revealed that two components present in the extracts are mutagenic. GC/MS analysis indicated the presence of 2, 6-dibromo-4-hydroxy-4-methylcyclohexa-2, 5-lien-1-one (2, 6-dibromotolquinol) as the major mutagen and brominated 4-methylphenol dimers as minor mutagenic compounds in the chlorinated 4-methylphenol solutions containing bromide ion. Production of 2, 6-dibromotolquinol in water was found to be dependent on the equivalents of chlorine per mole of compound and the reaction pH.