Mutagenic potential of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) and its hydrolysis-derived products in the Ames Salmonella assay

The mutagenicity of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), its first and sec ond hydrolysis products (the diol epoxide and bis-diol of BADGE, respective ly) and the bis-chlorohydrin of BADGE were investigated using the Ames Salm onella assay with strains TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537, The assays were p erformed in the absence and presence of various concentrations of rat liver S9 fraction. The results obtained confirm the mutagenic power of BADGE in strains TA100 and TA1535 and show a positive response to the diol epoxide o f BADGE in these strains, although the latter compound was similar to 10 ti mes less potent than the former. A lack of mutagenic activity of the bis-di ol of BADGE and the chlorohydrin under study is also shown. These findings suggest that BADGE and, to a much lesser extent, the diol epoxide of BADGE may constitute a genotoxic hazard, but not the bis-diol or bis-chlorohydrin of BADGE.