Despite their widespread use and potential for significant human exposure, genotoxicity data on anthraquinones and other dyes are limited. In this study, 16 anthraquinones and one azo dye (Solvent Red 1) were selected for testing using the thymidine kinase (tk) locus and micronucleus (MN) analysis in L5178Y/TK(+/-)-3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells. Six of the dyes were from the same lot used in the NTP rodent bioassay. The dyes used were all production lots and thus varied in their purity. Disperse Blue 7, 2-aminoanthraquinone, 1-amino-2-methylanthraquinone, Disperse Blue 3 and Disperse Red 11 were genotoxic (inducing 1814 mutants/10(6) survivors, 369 MN/1000 cells at 13% survival; 397 mutants/10(6) survivors, 196 MN/1000 cells at 21% survival; 178 mutants/10(6) survivors, 119 MN/1000 cells at 51% survival; 264 mutants/10(6) survivors, 109 MN/1000 cells at 15% survival, respectively). Reactive Blue 19 was weakly mutagenic (inducing 144 mutants/10(6) survivors, but only 8 MN/1000 cells at 13% survival). Vat Yellow 4 and Solvent Red 1, with exogenous activation, were also mutagenic (inducing 300 mutants/10(6) survivors, 18 MN/1000 cells at 57% survival, and 100 mutants/10(6) survivors and 16 MN/1000 cells at 22% survival, respectively). With activation 1-nitro-2-methylanthraquinone was judged to give an equivocal mutagenicity response. The maximum test concentration was limited for some compounds by their solubility. Those chemicals that did not induce mutation or cytotoxicity at the limits of solubility were classified separately. Compounds which were not evaluated without exogenous activation because of insolubility but were evaluated with activation include 1-nitro-2-methylanthraquinone, Solvent Red 1 and Vat Yellow 4. Compounds which were not evaluated either with or without S9 activation because of their insolubility in the culture medium include 1-amino-2,4-dibromoanthraquinone, D&C Green, Disperse Blue 1, Disperse Red 60, Vat Blue 4, Vat Blue 20, Vat Brown 1 and Vat Brown 3.