The ames test is used for detecting chemicals with carcinogenic potential.
a. true
b. false

False

Explanation:

One of the most commonly used assays for the characterization of the mutagenic potential of environmental samples, including surface water, is the Ames test that allows the identification of substances with the potential to induce frameshift or base pair substitution gene mutations.

For this reason, we can conclude that the phrase "The Ames test is used for detecting chemicals with carcinogenic potential." is false.