Effects of ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene on the induction of micronuclei in bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes of mice.

Genotoxic effects of five widely used aromatic industrial solvents, ethylbenzene, methylbenzene (toluene), o-, m-, and p-dimethylbenzene (xylene), on bone marrow cells of male NMRI mice were studied using micronucleus test. Each compound was given to animals by IP administration of two similar doses 24 h apart. Increased formation of micronuclei within polychromatic erythrocytes of femoral bone marrow 30 h after the first injection was conducted to be due to the clastogenic effect of the test compound. Of the chemicals tested, only toluene gave a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes. This genotoxic activity of toluene was confirmed in male B6C3F1 mice.