RESUMO
Two organomercurial fungicides, Ceresan containing phenyl mercury acetate and Agallol 3 containing methoxyethyl mercury chloride, were investigated for their mutagenicity in Drosophila melanogaster. The fungicides, administered by both larval and adult feeding techniques, were evaluated for their efficacy in inducing dominant lethals, sex-linked recessive lethals, and II-III translocations in the male germ cells. Both fungicides failed to induce significant dominant lethals, sex-linked recessive lethals, and II-III translocations when administered in the larval diet (P greater than 0.05). But Ceresan in the adult diet brought about a significant increase in the frequency of sex-linked recessive lethals (P less than 0.05). Broodwise analysis revealed that spermatids and spermatocytes were more sensitive than others to all the concentrations of Ceresan and Agallol 3 used. The mutagenic implications of such fungicides in the human environment are discussed.
