Assays for dominant lethal mutations, sex-linked recessive lethal mutations, and
chromosomal breakage, nondisjunction and loss were performed on Drosophila melanogaster males treated by injection or by larval feeding of the
herbicides atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine),
cyanazine [2-chloro-4-(1-cyano-1-methylethylamino)-6-ethylamino-1,3,5-
triazine], or
simazine [2-chloro-4,6-bis-(ethylamino)-1,3,5-
triazine]. The three
herbicides significantly increased the rate of apparent dominant lethals, but this reduction in egg hatch was probably due to physiologic toxicity to sperm.
Atrazine significantly increased X-linked recessive lethals and X or Y loss
after treatment by larval feeding. Injection of
simazine elevated X-linked lethals, whereas treatment by larval feeding did not. None of these
herbicides significantly increased partial loss of the Y chromosome nor sex chromosome nondisjunction. Much larger experiments are needed to determine with confidence the mutagenic potential of these
herbicides.