Mutagenicity and metabolism studies on 12 thiuram and dithiocarbamate compounds used as accelerators in the Swedish rubber industry

12 thiuram and dithiocarbamate compounds used in the rubber industry as accelerators, and to some extent as sources of sulfur, were tested, as well as carbon disulfide, a metabolite found in vivo after dithiocarbamate treatment, for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium. A mutagenic effect on the base-substitution-sensitive strains TA1535 and TA100 was found for 7 compounds. The most potent directly acting mutagens were: tetramethylthiuram disulfide (TMTD), zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate (ziram), cadmium diethyldithiocarbamate and zinc diethyldithiocarbamate. Tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD), also known as Antabus, and carbon disulfide were non-mutagenic. The relatively low direct mutagenic effect of tetramethylthiuram monosulfide (TMTM) was enhanced in the presence of a metabolizing system (S9 mix). A hypothesis is given regarding the activation process of the monosulfide TMTM.