Microbiological mutagenicity studies of pesticides in vitro.

14 pesticides were tested as pure compounds for the induction of point mutations in four strains of Salmonella typhimurium--TA1535, TA1536, TA1537 and TA1538--in the presence and in the absence of rat-liver microsomal fractions and for the induction of resistance to low concentrations of streptomycin in the filamentous bacterium, Streptomyces coelicolor. The technique used was essentially the so-called "spot test". The pesticides investigated were: aminotriazole, Benomyl, Captafol, Captan, Dichlorvos, Dalapon-Na, Dinobuton, Dodine, Ioxynil, Mecoprop, Neburon, Picloram, Triallate and Trichlorphon. In Salmonella, Captan and Triallate were mutagenic on the TA1535 strain; Dichlorvos and Trichlorphon were negative in the spot test but mutagenic after incubation in liquid cultures of strain TA1535. By using the S. coelicolor forward-mutation test, aminotriazole, Dichlorvos, Picloram, Trichlorphon and Triallate were mutagenic with the "spot test" technique; Captan showed a weak mutagenic activity with a "plate-incorporated" technique.