Evaluation of di‐(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate and its major metabolites in the ames test and L5178Y mouse lymphoma mutagenicity assay

Abstract

Di‐(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and its two major metabolites, mono‐(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP) and 2‐ethylhexanol (EH), were tested for genetic activity in both the Salmonella/mammalian microsome mutagenicity (Ames) assay and the L5178Y TK^+/— mouse lymphoma cell mutagenicity assay. All chemicals were tested in both the presence and absence of Aroclor‐induced liver microsomes prepared from male Sprague‐Dawley rats. Dose levels for both assays were selected from preliminary toxicity studies for each chemical. Neither DEHP, MEHP, nor EH exhibited any significant mutagenic activity in strains TA‐98, TA‐100, TA‐1535, TA‐1537, and TA‐1538 in the Ames test or when tested in the L5178Y TK^+/ — mouse lymphoma cell mutagenicity assay.