Toxicology bioassay information sheet, undated

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

ETL - About Page 2 of 4

higher levels of toxicity than the dissolved components of the water sample itself. In addition to its application of analyzing the toxicity of water samples, ETL plans to develop the protocol for use of the assay in other biological (food, urine, etc.) and air samples.

The Tetramitus Assay has many important characteristics that will enable it to achieve a leadership position in the field of toxicity testing. The assay's whole particle testing capability is unique amongst bioassays. The Tetramitus Assay, which can detect toxicants at low concentrations, is sensitive to a broad range of mutagens, including aminobiphenyl (main carcinogen in cigarette smoke), 2-aminoflourene (a nitroaromatic similar to many dyes), benzo[A]pyrene (a combustion by-product), and MX (predominant mutagen found in chlorinated water). Dose-response curves are also demonstrated with compounds positive for Salmonella strains TA97, TA98, TA100 ad TAI 02. In a test with 31 coded samples there were no false positives or negatives (on the basis of Ames Test values). Dose-response curves for three mutagens (aminobiphenyl, cadmium and para-phenylenediamine) measured three years apart, showed excellent agreement. Furthermore, repeat assays for 2-aminoflourene using populations of flagellates growing at two vastly different initial growth rates, were in close agreement. These results demonstrate the robustness of the Tetramitus Assay. Because of the Tetramitus Assay’s positive response to diverse types of DNA damaging agents, there is strong circumstantial evidence that the Tetramitus Assay is, in fact, measuring genotoxicity. The technology behind the Tetramitus Assay is scientifically simple. Very little technical training is required to run the test and minimal scientific equipment is needed. Further, results are achieved rapidly, the test is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. ETL has developed software which facilitates the statistical analysis of the results of the Tetramitus Assay.

Most of the data collected to date on the Tetramitus Assay has been compared to Ames Test values. The Ames Test, still considered by many to be the gold standard of bioassays and toxicological testing, is slow, expensive and scientifically complex. While the Tetramitus Assay performs very well when compared to the Ames Test, the competitors of this technology are the several rapid, inexpensive, benchtop toxicology tests now on the market, such as those offered by Azur Environmental, Xenometrix Corporation and others. The Tetramitus Assay seems to enjoy many advantages over other test systems:

• The Tetramitus Assay is inexpensive to perform. It can be run for a fraction of the cost of other benchtop tests. The primary expense associated with the Tetramitus Assay is the cost of the labor necessary to conduct the test.

• The Tetramitus Assay requires no specialized preparations or test kits, only inexpensive commercially available reagents and media. Results are obtained within 4-24 hours. While this is competitive with Microtox™, most other bioassays take considerably longer. The

http://www.envirolab.com/abouttetramitus.htm 2/12/02

NYC-WTC_000152057