GENOTOXICITY AND CARCINOGENICITY TESTING OF 1,2-DIBROMOPROPANE AND 1,1,3-TRIBROMOPROPANE IN COMPARISON TO 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE

The activities of 1,2-dibromopropane (DBP) and 1,1,3-tribromopropane ( TBP) were studied in seven genotoxicity assays, (i) SOS-induction in E . coli, (ii) DNA repair in primary rat hepatocyte culture, (iii) the S almonella/microsome assay, (iv) a host-mediated assay using Salmonella , (v) the somatic mutation and recombination assay in Drosophila melan ogaster, (vi) HGPRT-mutagenesis assay in ARL 18 cells, and (vii) micro nucleus formation assay in mouse polychromatophylic erythrocytes (PCE) , forestomach (FS), glandular stomach (GS), duodenum (D), jejunum (J), cecum (C) and liver (L). The halopropanes were also tested for tumor formation in the fish Danio rerio. DBP was active in assays (ii), (v), (vii FS) and (vii L). TBP was positive in assays (ii) and (iii), stro ngly positive in (vii L) and borderline positive in (iv). However, nei ther DBP nor TBP induced tumors in fish, in contrast to the carcinogen ic 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane. The genotoxicity and potential carcino genicity of DBP and TBP in mammals is discussed.