An assessment of the clastogenic potential of 4-chloromethylbiphenyl in human lymphocytes in vitro.

The clastogenic potential of 4CMB was assessed in vitro in human lymphocytes from 4 donors (2 male and 2 female) both with and without auxiliary metabolic activation. Although there were some variation in the response of the cells from different donors to 4CMB using 2 criteria for interpretation of the results; it was concluded that 4CMB was a clastogen, but only at dose levels that caused some cytotoxicity. The response was amplified by the inclusion of chromatid and chromosome gaps in the analysis of chromosome damage.