Mutagenicity of rubber vulcanization gases in Salmonella typhimurium.

Gases formed by rubber and rubber additives in the vulcanization process were collected with a laboratory-scale glass apparatus. Mutagenicity testing of the vulcanization gases by the Salmonella/microsome test was conducted with strains TA1535, TA1538, TA98, and TA100 in the absence and presence of a metabolizing system from rat liver homogenates. The mutagenicity of gases derived by heating chloroprene rubber and ethylene propylene rubber was established with both base substitution- and frameshift-sensitive strains and that of a styrene-butadiene rubber was established with the base substitution-sensitive stain TA100. Tests on pyrolysis gases from a butadiene acrylonitrile rubber revealed only toxic effects. Curing systems, additives, and filling materials from various sources were represented in the material. Gases were collected at temperature levels corresponding to both mixing and curing of these particular rubbers in the industrial operations. Attempts were made to correlate the mutagenicity of the gases to the presence of mutagenic components in the rubber mixtures.

Mutagenicity and metabolism studies on 12 thiuram and dithiocarbamate compounds used as accelerators in the Swedish rubber industry.

12 thiuram and dithiocarbamate compounds used in the rubber industry as accelerators, and to some extent as sources of sulfur, were tested, as well as carbon disulfide, a metabolite found in vivo after dithiocarbamate treatment, for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium. A mutagenic effect on the base-substitution-sensitive strains TA1535 and TA100 was found for 7 compounds. The most potent directly acting mutagens were: tetramethylthiuram disulfide (TMTD), zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate (ziram), cadmium diethyldithiocarbamate and zinc diethyldithiocarbamate. Tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD), also known as Antabus, and carbon disulfide were non-mutagenic. The relatively low direct mutagenic effect of tetramethylthiuram monosulfide (TMTM) was enhanced in the presence of a metabolizing system (S9 mix). A hypothesis is given regarding the activation process of the monosulfide TMTM.

Mutagenicity of fume particles from stainless steel welding.

Welding fume particles collected from different welding procedures were tested for mutagenicity in Escherichia coli, with the inhibition zone in pol A- as compared to pol A+, and in Salmonella typhimurium, TA 100 strain. While no mutagenicity was found with mild steel welding, a mutagenic effect was established with samples from stainless steel welding. This mutagenicity was particularly associated with manual metal arc (MMA) welding, and less so with metal inert-gas welding. A decrease in or an elimination of the effect occurred with a liver microsomal metabolizing system (S-9 mix). The MMA samples produced the strongest mutagenic effect. More-detailed investigations on these samples showed that the mutagenic agent(s) is water soluble. An increased mutagenicity, which also revealed the induction of frame shift mutations, was found with TA 98. The same welding fume sample was used for a mutagenicity test (resistance to 6-thioguanine) with V 79 hamster cells. Because of the high toxicity of these welding fume particles on the cells, only very low concentrations could be tested, but the increase of mutations, when compared to the negative control, was significant. It is suggested that hexavalent chromium may be involved in the mutagenic effect of the welding fumes.