The mutagenic effect in bacteriophage T4D of a hair dye, 1,4 diaminoanthraquinone, and of two solvents, dimethylsulfoxide and ethanol

The induction of rapid lysis mutants in bacteriophage T4D was used for measuring the mutagenic effect of the hair dye, 1,4 diaminoanthraquinone (DAQ), and of two solvents, dimethylsulfoxide and ethanol. Three concentrations of DAQ employed, 12.8, 30.5 and 61 μg/ml, were found to significantly increase the mutation frequency compared to the control. Other doses of DAQ, both lower and higher, had no effect on the mutation frequency. The solvent, dimethylsulfoxide, was found to significantly increase the mutation frequency at high concentrations (111.1 and 130.4 μl/ml). Ethanol had no mutagenic effect at doses ranging from 47.6–130.4 μl/ml.