Toxicity Profile for Pigment Yellow 12 (1996)

Abstract

Pigment Yellow 12 produced little or no irritation on human or rabbit skin. Two trade name products were rabbit eye irritants, whereas another four had only slight or no action. Skin sensitization has occasionally been reported in humans. On single administration to rats the pigment was moderately toxic by intraperitoneal injection, but of very low oral toxicity. There was no convincing evidence of carcinogenicity in long-term rat and mouse feeding studies; liver cell changes were seen in one of the rat studies. All but one of a series of Ames bacterial tests revealed no mutagenic potential, although in some cases this was ascribed to the pigment's insolubility. Pigment Yellow 12 was not absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract or skin of rats, and no 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine (an animal carcinogen, which could theoretically be formed by metabolic azo reduction of the pigment) could be detected in the urine of rats or hamsters treated orally. However, decomposition to 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine can occur when polymers containing the pigment are heated above 200°C.