The evaluation of genotoxic activities of disinfectants and their metabolites by umu test.

The genotoxic potential of 6 disinfectants and their 9 metabolites was investigated by umu test. In the tested disinfectants, glutaraldehyde showed positive genotoxicity independent of metabolic activation system and acrinol was positive only in the presence of S9 mixture. Alkylaminoethylglycine, benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine digluconate and methylrosaniline chloride were negative in the presence or absence of S9 mixture. In some metabolites of benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine digluconate or glutaraldehyde, only pyrogallol showed positive genotoxicity in the absence of S9 mixture and the activity was not affected by the metabolic activation system. Aniline, p-chloroacetoanilide, p-chloroaniline, p-chlorophenol, decabutyldimethylamine, glutaric acid, phenol and pyrocatechol did not induce umu gene expression independently of the presence of S9 mixture. The results in the umu test of these compounds were compared with their findings in the liquid rec-assay and Ames test. The umu test is a more useful and simplified method for the detection of genotoxicity of the compounds with killing effects on tester bacteria.