A review of the mutagenicity of chloroform

Although chloroform (CHCl3) is metabolized in vivo and in vitro to a substance that covalently interacts with protein and lipid, its potential for binding to DNA is low. In addition, most of the assays for genotoxicity are negative. However, many of the genotoxicity results are inconclusive because of inadequacies in the experimental protocols. The types of genotoxicity tests this report is based on include bacterial, yeast, host-mediated, Drosophila sex-linked recessive lethal, mammalian cell mutagenicity, sperm head abnormality, cytogenetic, and DNA damage. On the basis of presently available information, no definitive conclusion on the mutagenic potential of CHCl3 can be reached.