Nitrilotriacetic acid does not induce sister-chromatid exchanges in hamster or human cells

The effect of nitrilotriacetic acid on sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes and Chinese hamster ovary cells was studied. The chemical did not increase the frequency of SCEs in either cell type. The negative response of these cells supports other evidence that nitrilotriacetic acid is not genotoxic and that its carcinogenicity to the urinary tract may involve an epigenetic mechanism.