Further mutagenicity studies on pesticides in bacterial reversion assay systems.

A total of 228 pesticides (88 insecticides, 60 fungicides, 62 herbicides, 12 plant-growth regulators, 3 metabolites and 3 other compounds) was tested for mutagenicity in bacterial reversion-assay systems with 5 strains (TA100, TA98, TA1535, TA1537 and TA1538) of Salmonella typhimurium and a strain (WP2 hcr) of Escherichia coli. 50 pesticides (25 insecticides, 20 fungicides, 3 herbicides, 1 plant-growth regulator and 1 other compound) were found to be mutagenic. 5 of them required metabolic activation (S9 mix) for their activities. Among various chemical groups, organic phosphates, halogenated alkanes and dithiocarbamates showed higher ratios of mutagens. Although 22 of the pesticides tested have been reported to be carcinogenic, 7 of them, i.e., captain, DBCP, EDB, EDC, ETU, HEH and nitrofen, were detected as mutagens in the present assay. Most of the other 15 non-mutagenic carcinogens were organochlorine pesticides such as alpha-BHC, chlorobenzilate, p,p'-DDT, dieldrin and quintozene.

[1]  M. Moriya,et al.  Mutagenicity screening of pesticides in the microbial system. , 1976, Mutation research.

[2]  W. W. Nichols,et al.  Short-term tests for carcinogens and mutagens. , 1979, Mutation research.

[3]  U. Rannug,et al.  Mutagenicity and metabolism studies on 12 thiuram and dithiocarbamate compounds used as accelerators in the Swedish rubber industry. , 1979, Mutation research.

[4]  M. Legator,et al.  Cytogenetic and mutagenic effects of DDT and DDE in a Chinese hamster cell line. , 1973, Mutation research.

[5]  D. Clive,et al.  Validation and characterization of the L5178Y/TK+/- mouse lymphoma mutagen assay system. , 1979, Mutation research.

[6]  F. Ahmed,et al.  Pesticide induced DNA damage and its repair in cultured human cells. , 1977, Mutation research.

[7]  B. Ames,et al.  Methods for detecting carcinogens and mutagens with the Salmonella/mammalian-microsome mutagenicity test. , 1975, Mutation research.

[8]  M. Moriya,et al.  Screening of pesticides for DNA interactions by "rec-assay" and mutagenesis testing, and frameshift mutagens detected. , 1974, Mutation research.

[9]  J. Ward,et al.  The mouse liver tumor as an endpoint in carcinogenesis tests. , 1979, Toxicology and applied pharmacology.

[10]  L. Georgian The comparative cytogenetic effects of aldrin and phosphamidon. , 1975, Mutation research.

[11]  C Ramel,et al.  The micronucleus test as part of a short-term mutagenicity test program for the prediction of carcinogenicity evaluated by 143 agents tested. , 1980, Mutation research.

[12]  J J Gart,et al.  Bioassay of pesticides and industrial chemicals for tumorigenicity in mice: a preliminary note. , 1969, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[13]  M. Moriya,et al.  Effects of cysteine and a liver metabolic activation system on the activities of mutagenic pesticides. , 1978, Mutation research.

[14]  H. Miltenburger,et al.  The effect of insecticides on Chinese hamster cell cultures. , 1976, Mutation research.