The mutagenicity of one pesticide and 20 pesticide transformation products in water environments (PTPWs), the mutagen formation potential (MFP) of three pesticides and 28 PTPWs were investigated with the Ames Salmonella mutagenicity assay. The mutagenicity of 2-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (a PTPW of iprobenfos) was positive before chlorination. Out of 28 PTPWs, 18 were positive for the MFP. The difference of the MFP distributions between the parent pesticides and their PTPWs was tested statistically, indicating no increase in the MFP through the transformations. Of the 28 couples of parent pesticides and their PTPWs tested, seven couples increased their MFP through the transformations. The greatest ratio of the increase was 38, which was observed for iprobenfos and its PTPW 3-hydroxybenzyl alcohol.

No abstract