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Christopher M. Skisak,¹ E. Marianna Furedi-Machacek,² Susan S. Schmitt,³ Mark S. Swanson,⁴ and Edmond H. Vernot⁵

¹Pennzoil Company, Houston, TX 77252 USA; ²IIT Research Institute, Chicago, IL 60616 USA; ³Amoco Corporation, Chicago, IL 60601 USA; ⁴Koch Industries, Wichita, KS 67201 USA; ⁵American Petroleum Institute, Washington, DC 20005 USA

Abstract
Nine refinery streams were tested in both chronic and initiation/promotion (I/P) skin bioassays. In the chronic bioassay, groups of 50 C3H/HeJ mice received twice weekly applications of 50 µl of test article for at least 2 years. In the initiation phase of the I/P bioassay, groups of CD-1 mice received an initiating dose of 50 µl of test article for 5 consecutive days, followed by promotion with 50 µl of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (0.01% w/v in acetone) for 25 weeks. In the promotion phase of the I/P bioassay, CD-1 mice were initiated with 50 µl of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (0.1% w/v in acetone) or acetone, followed by promotion with 50 µl of test article twice weekly for 25 weeks. The most volatile of the streams, sweetened naphtha, and the least volatile, vacuum residuum, were noncarcinogenic in both assays. Middle distillates, with a boiling range of 150°-370°C, demonstrated carcinogenic activity in the chronic bioassay and acted as promoters but not initiators in the I/P bioassay. Untreated mineral oil streams displayed initiating activity and were carcinogenic in the chronic bioassay, presumably due to the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of requisite size and structure. A highly solvent-refined mineral oil stream lacked initiating activity. These results indicate that the I/P bioassay, which takes 6 months to complete, may be a good qualitative predictor of the results of a chronic bioassay, at least for petroleum streams. Furthermore, the I/P bioassay can provide insight into possible mechanisms of tumor development. Key words: initiation-promotion, petroleum products, refinery streams, skin painting bioassay. Environ Health Perspect 102:82-87(1994)

Address correspondence to C. M. Skisak, Pennzoil Company, ESHA Department, PO Box 2967, Houston, TX 77252 USA.

This study was conducted at IIT Research Institute. The authors thank John DiGiovanni for his insightful review and Re'Naye Williams for her preparation of this manuscript. This work was sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute, Washington, DC.

Received 13 July 1993 ; accepted 8 October 1993.

Address correspondence to C. M. Skisak, Pennzoil Company, ESHA Department, PO Box 2967, Houston, TX 77252 USA.

This study was conducted at IIT Research Institute. The authors thank John DiGiovanni for his insightful review and Re'Naye Williams for her preparation of this manuscript. This work was sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute, Washington, DC.

Received 13 July 1993 ; accepted 8 October 1993.