[The evaluation of the presumed mutagenic activity of barium nitrate]

Barium nitrate, which is used in industry in the production of green signal lights, to remove gases from vacuum tubes, and in the production of barium oxide, was assayed to assess the possible mutagenic effects using both the Ames test (S. typhimurium TA 1535, TA 1537, TA 1538, TA 97a, TA 98, TA 100, TA 102c), with and without metabolic activation with the plate incorporation assay and pre-incubation assay methods, and using the mitotic crossing over test, the mitotic genic conversion test, and the retromutation test in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, D7 strain, with and without metabolic activation. In the experimental conditions of the study, at various gradually increasing concentrations, barium nitrate gave negative results.