Mutagenicity of the following nine (A-I) aromatic amino derivatives used as epoxy resin hardners was examined by Ames method. (A) 4, 4'-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline), (B) 1, 4-phenylene-di-4-aminophenylether, (C) 4, 4'-diaminodiphenylmethane, (D) 4, 4'-diaminodiphenylether, (E) 4-aminodiphenylether, (F) 1, 3-phenylene-di-4-aminophenylether, (G) 3, 3'-dichloro-4, 4'-diaminodiphenylether, (H) 3, 4, 4'-triaminodiphenylether, (I) 4, 4'-diaminodiphenylsulfone. Eight compounds (A-H) showed mutagenic activity to Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA-100 by metabolic activation with S-9 Mix. 4, 4'-Diaminodiphenylsulfone (compound I), which has been used for the chemotherapy of leprosy and now is being used as an epoxy resin hardner, did not show any mutagenic activity not only to Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 but also to E. coli WP2uvrA and WP2uvrA/pKM.
