TOXICITY OF POLYPROPYLENE IN TISSUE CULTURE

In vitro methods using cell cultures have been employed to detect and measure the toxicity of polypropylene, using polyvinyl chloride with a known toxic additive as a positive control. The tests used measured the viability, adhesiveness, phagocytic activity and structure of pulmonary and peritoneal macrophages from the rat and the viability and mitotic activity of calf-kidney and chick-embryo fibroblasts cultured in the presence of extracts of the plastics in plasma. These tests were shown to be sensitive indicators of the presence of toxic materials and demonstrated that the Propathene brand of polypropylene is without adverse effects under these conditions. © 1969 Pergamon Press Limited.