Mutagenicity of dichlorvos and other structurally related pesticides in Salmonella and Streptomyces.

The following pesticides: azinphosmethyl, diallate, dichlorvos, EPTC, fenchlorphos, mevinphos, monocrotophos, noruron, parathionmethyl, triallate, trichlorphon and vegadex were tested for the ability to induce his+ revertants in four histidines requiring strains of Salmonella typhimurium--TAI 535(missense), TAI 536, TAI 537 and TAI 538 (frame-shift)- and resistance to low levels of streptomycin in Streptomyces coelicolor. Dichlorvos, which is a phosphoric ester with a dichlorovinyl group as side chain, and trichlorphon, which is known for its spontaneous conversion in dichlorvos, are both mutagenic in Salmonella (strain TAI535) and Streptomyces. Five organophosphorus pesticides similar to dichlorvos but devoid of the vinyl group are not mutagenic. Three carbamates, diallate, triallate and vegadex, which contain a chloroallyl group similar to the vinyl group of dichlorvos are mutagenic in Streptomyes; triallate and vegadex are powerful mutagens also in Salmonella (strain TAI535); two other carbamates devoid of the chlorinated group are not mutagenic. The results suggest that the presence of a vinyl chloride or allyl chloride group in the molecule of these pesticides is responsible for the ability to induce point mutations in Salmonella and Streptomyces.