Mutagenic potential of Mancozeb in Salmonella typhimurium

Mancozeb, a dithiocarbamate fungicide, was examined for its possible mutagenic activity using Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA97a, TA98, TA100, and TA102. We found that Mancozeb exhibited toxic effects at the dose of 40 mug/plate and higher with all tester strains. Mancozeb showed dose-dependent increases in the number of revertants with and without metabolic activation when it was dissolved in DMSO or acetone with strain TA97a; however, the number of revertants at the highest dose was less than two-fold compared to control values. We postulate that the true mutagenic potential of Mancozeb may be masked by its toxic effect to the tester strain used.