Reproductive Effects Assessment Group's Report on the Mutagenicity of Inorganic Arsenic

Abstract

Various inorganic compounds of arsenic have been tested for mutagenicity in a variety of test systems ranging in complexity from bacteria to peripheral lymphocytes of exposed human beings. Although a great deal of the data are contradictory, the weight of evidence supports the following conclusions: (1) Arsenic is either inactive or extremely weak for the induction of gene mutations in vitro; (2) Arsenic is clastogenic and induces sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in a variety of cell types, including human cells, in vitro; trivalent arsenic is approximately an order of magnitude more potent than pentavalent arsenic. (3) Arsenic does not appear to induce chromosome aberrations in vivo in experimental animals; (4) Several studies suggest that human beings exposed to arsenic demonstrate higher frequencies of SCE and chromosomal aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes; the quality of these studies is generally poor.

Citation

Jacobson-Kram, D. AND D. Montalbano. Reproductive Effects Assessment Group's Report on the Mutagenicity of Inorganic Arsenic. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-85/349 (NTIS PB86175445).

Additional Information

Pub. in Environmental Mutagenesis 7, p787-804 1985. repared in cooperation with Gallaudet Coll., Washington, DC.

• REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS ASSESSMENT GROUP'S REPORT ON THE MUTAGENICITY OF INORGANIC ARSENIC