SCREENING OF AZO DYES FOR MUTAGENICITY WITH AMES SALMONELLA ASSAY

Azo dyes, the largest portion of manufactured dyestuffs, are primarily used as colouring substances in food, textiles, and the plastic indus try. It has been estimated that 128 tonnes per annum of dyes are relea sed into the environment worldwide [Anliker, 1977]. Certain azo compou nds are known to be mutagenic in bacterial tests [Yahagi et al., 1975; Venitt and Bushell, 1976; Brown et al. 1978]. Watersoluble dyes are b iotransformed by intestinal micro-organisms in the gastro intestinal t ract, and the toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity of these dye s in the gut or liver may be attributed to their metabolites. Since it is desirable to have a genotoxic evaluation of a chemical being relea sed into the environment in order to check their indiscriminate use, a project has been initiated to determine the mutagenicity of the azo d yes being used commercially. The present report deals with the results of 13 dyes tested in Salmonella typhimurium with and without metaboli c activation. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.