title: Overview of potential mutagenic problems posed by some pesticides and their trace impurities.
abstract: This review principally addresses a number of aspects of usage of pesticides as well as populations at potential risk and attempts to highlight categories of pesticides whose structures or those of their metabolites and/or trace impurities, degradation and transformation products suggest an a priori mutagenic and/or carcinogenic risk. The pesticides considered include: DDT, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), 2,4,5-T, pentachlorophenol, and various herbicidal precursors (e.g., carbamates, triazines) of nitrosamines and nitroso derivatives. Structural features of a number of halo-unsaturated pesticides (e.g., dichloropropenes) were also reviewed from a viewpoint of contrasting their potential mutagenicity with that of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride. Additionally the mutagenicity of the organophosphorus pesticide Trichlorophon is contrasted with that of its degradation products.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001711:Biotransformation; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000506:poisoning; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000506:poisoning; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning; D009153:Mutagens / Q000378:metabolism; D009603:Nitroso Compounds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000506:poisoning; D010575:Pesticides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning*; D013859:Thiocarbamates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning
chemical_list: D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D009153:Mutagens; D009603:Nitroso Compounds; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D010575:Pesticides; D013859:Thiocarbamates