RESUMEN
Salmonella / microsome reversion assay was used as a biological parameter for monitoring the toxicity of common effluent treatment plant (CETP), Mandia road industrial area, Pali catering to textile industrial areas in Pali, Rajasthan.The influent and effluent water of CETP, surface water (Bandi river) and underground water were tested using Ames bioassay. The results showed presence of mutagens in surface water of Bandi river and the underground water in Pali. Further, comparison of mutagenicity of CETP influent and effluent water revealed that the treatment method employed at this plant has failed to remove mutagenic substances present in Pali textile wastewater. The study also showed that Ames assay is an important tool in genotoxic studies because of its simplicity, sensitivity to genetic damage, speed, low cost of experimentation and small amount of sample required. Further Ames assay, as seen from the results of this study, can be used as a monitoring tool for not only CETPs but also for other water resources. The outcomes of the Ames assay demonstrated its performance as a sensitive, cost-effective and relatively rapid screening tool to assess the genotoxic potential of complex environmental samples.