Short-lived mutagen in Salmonella produced by reaction of trichloroacetic acid and dimethyl sulphoxide.

A chemical reaction occurs when trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is dissolved in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), with the production of a short-lived mutagenic derivative which was detected using the Salmonella/mammalian-microsome plate overlay assay. Other interactions between test chemicals and solvents are discussed. Choice of proper solvents in mutagenicity testing is emphasized.