Mutagenic activity of 2-(2',4'-diaminophenoxy)ethanol in strains TA1538 and TA98 of Salmonella typhimurium.

The mutagenicity of 2-(2',4'-diaminophenoxy)ethanol (2,4-DAPE) was compared with that of 2,4-diaminoanisole (2,4-DAA), a chemically related compound previously used in hair-dye formulations. Both chemicals were tested in standard procedures with the Salmonella/microsome mutagenicity test as described by Ames and colleagues. In several experiments, which extended over a total period of 2 years, 2,4-DAA exhibited definite, but variable mutagenicity toward strain TA1538 when S9 preparations of rat liver induced with Aroclor 1254 were present in the incubation mixtures. The compound 2,4-DAPE did not exhibit detectable mutagenic activity when tested concomitantly under the same experimental conditions. We conclude that 2,4-DAPE is not mutagenic for Salmonella under conditions of the standard mammalian microsome assay with strain TA1538 and TA98 as indicators.