Mutagenicity produced by aqueous chlorination of organic compounds [unbleached kraft pulp]

Of 93 substances studied, only 1,3-dichloroacetone, 1,1,3,3,-tetrachloroacetone, 3,6-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde , dibromomethane and mucochloric acid were mutagenic, but not toxic, to Salmonella TA 100 (Ames) . Forty-three compounds systematically chlorinated were mutagenic, except p-benzoquinone, tetrachlorocatechol, tetrachloroguaiacol, tetrachloro-o-quinone, abietic acid, acetone and caffeine, all of which were toxic, and glyoxal, benzoic acid and maleic acid which produced neither mutagenicity nor toxicity. Chlorination of fumaric acid and trans-butenedioic acid produced a positive Ames test while chlorination of maleic acid did not. Lignin was the main source of mutagenicity by chlorinated woodpulp.