Mutagenic activity of carbon black dyes used in the leather industry.
Seven carbon black pastes used as commercial leather dyes were tested for their mutagenicity in the Salmonella/microsome test (TA98 and TA100 strains). All the samples assayed either directly or after extraction with a 30-min sonication in benzene were devoid of mutagenicity both in the presence and absence of a metabolic activation preparation. After a 48-h extraction with boiling toluene in a Soxhlet apparatus, four samples were mutagenic in TA98 strain in the presence of S9 mix. The activity ranged from 1.3 to 9.6 induced revertants/mg equivalent of extract. A weak direct mutagenic activity in strain TA98 was shown by one extract. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were determined in the toluene extracts by high resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The presence of PAH could explain the mutagenicity of only one sample (8.79 micrograms of total PAH/100 mg equivalents of extract), while low or undetectable levels of PAH were found in the other mutagenic extracts. The mutagenic activity was evident only after a vigorous extraction process, thus a low bioavailability of the mutagens present in these compounds is suggested.
Venier
P
P
Department of Biology, University of Padua, Italy.
Tecchio
G
G
Clonfero
E
E
Levis
A G
AG
D001554:Benzene; D002244:Carbon / Q000633:toxicity; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects; D013010:Sonication; D013633:Tanning; D014050:Toluene
D004396:Coloring Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds; D014050:Toluene; D002244:Carbon; D001554:Benzene