Assessment of DNA damage in Brazilian workers occupationally exposed to pesticides: a study from Central Brazil

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2013-10, Vol.20 (10), p.7334-7340
• Main Authors: Khayat, Carolinne Borges, Costa, Emília Oliveira Alves, Gonçalves, Macks Wendhell, da Cruz e Cunha, Damiana Mirian, da Cruz, Alex Silva, de Araújo Melo, Caroline Oliveira, Bastos, Rogério Pereira, da Cruz, Aparecido Divino, de Melo e Silva, Daniela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Agriculture; Agrochemicals; Air Pollutants, Occupational - metabolism; Air Pollutants, Occupational - toxicity; Alcohol; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioassays; Brazil; Comet Assay; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA Damage; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Epithelium; Farmworkers; Female; Genomes; Health risks; Human exposure; Humans; Male; Micronucleus Tests; Middle Aged; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Olea; Peripheral blood; Personal protective equipment; Pesticides; Pesticides - metabolism; Pesticides - toxicity; Protective equipment; Research Article; Somatic cells; Statistical analysis; Studies; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-1747-1

We evaluated 41 rural workers occupationally exposed to pesticides and 32 subjects as a control group, using the micronucleus (MN) and the comet assay. For the comet assay, we evaluated the peripheral blood, and for the MN, we sampled cells from the oral epithelium. Damage to DNA was measured by tail length, % DNA in tail (% tail), olive tail moment (OTM), and tail moment (TM). The exposed group presented an 8× increase in MN frequency, when compared to the control group ( p