Mutagenicity of chloropropanol in a genetic screening battery

A 72:25 mixture of 1-chloro-2-propanol and 2-chloro-1-propanol was tested for genetic activity in a battery of short term tests. Chloropropanol was tested over a dose range of 527-167,250 micrograms/plate in the Salmonella/mammalian microsome mutagenicity assay. A dose dependent mutagenic response was observed in strains TA 1535 and TA 100. Metabolic activation enhanced mutagenicity in both strains. Although chloropropanol was mutagenic in the TK+/-mouse lymphoma assay with and without metabolic activation, a smooth linear dose response relationship was not observed. Non-toxic mutagenic doses ranged from 5,000 to 10,000 micrograms/mL without activation. Chloropropanol was also mutagenic in the rat bone marrow cytogenetic assay. Rats dosed orally with 10, 31 and 100 mg/kg/day for 5 days displayed no significant difference in mean body weight gain or mean mitotic index when compared to controls, however, a dose-response increase (significant) in the number of aberrations, mostly chromatid breaks, was observed in each case.