Evaluation of the mutagenic potential of four commercial mixtures of insecticides.

Male mice (Q strain) were given a single ip injection at the maximum tolerated dose of one of four commercial mixtures of insecticides: Luxan Tue-Taons (150 g dimethoate and 150 g fenitrothion/litre), Metadipterex (210 g trichlorfon and 270 g methyldemeton/litre), Dynafos (155 g malathion, 60 g dichlorvos and 75 g carbaryl/litre) and Phosan Plus (95 g dimethoate, 100 g malathion and 100 g methoxychlor/litre). At the maximum tolerated doses, Luxan Tue-Taons (60 mg/kg), Metadipterex (15 mg/kg), Dynafos (50 mg/kg) and Phosan Plus (100 mg/kg) did not induce chromosome aberrations in bone-marrow cells, spermatogonia or primary spermatocytes of the mice. No evidence of potential genetic effects was obtained in a dominant lethal mutation assay.