Evaluation of the mutagenicity of an N-nitroso contaminant of the sunscreen Padimate O: N-nitroso-N-methyl-p-aminobenzoic acid, 2-ethylhexyl ester (NPABAO).

The nitrosamine contaminant, N-nitroso-N-methyl-p-aminobenzoic acid, 2-ethylhexyl ester (NPABAO), of the major sunscreen ingredient Padimate O (4-N,N'-dimethylamino-benzoic acid, 2-ethylhexyl ester) was synthesized and tested for mutagenicity in the Salmonella typhimurium and mouse lymphoma L5178Y TK +/- assays. In contrast to the previously reported positive responses in S. typhimurium tester strains TA100 and TA1535 [Loeppky et al., 1991], there were no increases in the number of revertants with strains TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA1538 in either the Salmonella plate incorporation [Ames et al., 1975] or preincubation [Yahagi et al., 1977] assays. Additional testing with Salmonella, following the modified preincubation procedure [Rogan, 1990] that gave the initial positive response, was also negative. Data from the mouse lymphoma assays were also uniformly negative. During synthesis of NPABAO, small amounts of 4-N,N'-dimethylamino-3-nitrobenzoic acid, 2-ethylhexyl ester (DMANBAO) can be formed. To determine whether the reported positive mutagenicity response of NPABAO could be the result of trace amounts of DMANBAO in the NPABAO, that compound was also synthesized and tested for mutagenicity with Salmonella. Positive responses were obtained with tester strains TA98 and TA 1538 but not with TA100 and TA1535, indicating that DMANBAO was not responsible for the increase in revertants originally reported.