The potential for human exposure, direct and indirect, to the suspected carcinogenic triphenylmethane dye Brilliant Green from green paper towels

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology 2011-08, Vol.49 (8), p.1870-1876
• Main Authors: Oplatowska, Michalina, Donnelly, Ryan F., Majithiya, Rita J., Glenn Kennedy, D., Elliott, Christopher T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquaculture; Biological and medical sciences; Brilliant Green; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; carcinogenicity; Carcinogens; Carcinogens - toxicity; Chemical agents; color; Coloring Agents - analysis; Coloring Agents - chemistry; drying; Dyes; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epidermis - drug effects; Exposure assessment; exposure duration; factories; Fish; fish consumption; fish diseases; Fishes; Foods; genotoxicity; gentian violet; hospitals; Humans; Malachite Green; Medical sciences; metabolites; Models, Animal; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds - analysis; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds - chemistry; Risk; Risk assessment; Swine; Towels; Toxicology; Trityl Compounds; Tumors; washing
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2011.05.005

► We have studied the transfer of a possibly carcinogenic dye Brilliant Green from green paper towels through the piglet skin. ► Detectable amount of dye has been found to migrate through and accumulate in the skin. ► High amount of dye has been also detected in food exposed to green paper towels. ► The risk associated with the use of green paper towels has been assessed using margin of exposure (MOE) approach. Triphenylmethanes – Malachite Green (MG), Crystal Violet (CV) and Brilliant Green (BG) are dyes with known genotoxic and carcinogenic properties. Apart from being illegally used in aquaculture for treatment of fish diseases they are also applied in industry such as paper production to colour paper towels widely used in hospitals, factories and other locations for hand drying after washing. The present study provides evidence that the triphenylmethane dye (BG) present in green paper towels can migrate through the skin even when the exposure time is short (30–300s). The transfer of the dye from the towel to food (fish) was also studied and a high amount of colour was found to migrate during overnight exposure. The risk to humans associated with these two dye transfer studies was assessed using a ‘margin of exposure approach’ on the basis of the toxicological data available for the closely related dye MG and its metabolite Leucomalachite Green. The data indicated that the risk associated with the use of triphenylmethane containing paper towels is of a similar proportion to the risk associated with consumption of fish contaminated with these dyes due to the illegal application in aquaculture.