Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: Study on effects of the ethylene oxide-sterilized Petri plate on Ames test. METHODS：In the plate incorporation test of Salmonella typhimurium，the revertant colonies of TA97， TA98，TA100，TA102 and TA1535 on the ethylene oxide sterilized Petri plates stored for different periods of time or by ventilation was counted. RESULTS：Ethylene oxide residuals in the Petri plates one month after sterilized increased the revertant colonies of TA100 and TA1535(TA100，about 1.5 fold of the spontaneous revertant colonies； TA1535，about 10 fold of the spontaneous revertant colonies)，and extending storage or ventilation could reduce the plate ethylene oxide residuals to a level that caused no mutagenetic effects. CONCLUSION：Under certain conditions，ethylene oxide-sterilized Petri plate could induce TA100 and TA1535 mutagenicity on Ames test.

Key words: ethylene oxide, Petri plate, Ames test, mutagenicity