Mutagenicity of commercial hair dyes in Salmonella typhimurium TA98.

Commercial permanent hair-dye formulations containing p-phenylenediamine, resorcinol and aminophenols were incubated with hydrogen peroxide and then tested for their ability to induce reverse mutations in Salmonella typhimurium TA98. Approximately half of the formulations (12 out of 25) gave positive results. The activity varied widely in degree and was observed only in the presence of an S-9 microsomal fraction from Aroclor-induced male rats. Five of the 12 positive formulations and one negative dye were administered topically to male rats; with one exception the urines of animals treated with the mutagenic hair dyes gave positive results in the presence of the S-9 mix.