Mutagenicity of n-nitrosodiethanolamine and its acetyl derivatives.

The mutagenicity of N-nitrosodiethanolamine and its mono- and di-acetyl derivatives was tested in the S. typhimurium test system, in cytogenetic studies and in the micronucleus test. N-nitrosodiethanolamine had no mutagenic effects towards several strains of S. typhimurium either in the absence or in the presence of metabolic activating systems. Its diacetyl derivative exerted mutagenic effects towards the S. typhimurium strains TA1530 and TA100. Neither compound increased significantly the nubmer of chromosomal aberrations or of micronuclei in mice.