Studies of Biological and Chemical Monitoring of low-level Exposure to Ethylene Oxide

Ten sanitary workers exposed to concentrations of ethylene oxide below 1 ppm were studied to determine whether effects could be observed at low exposure levels. A significant increase in the number of sister chromatid exchanges in cultured lymphocytes was found only for five subjects with relatively...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health Environment ＆ Health, 1991-02, Vol.17 (1), p.60-64
Main Authors: Sarto, Franco, Törnqvist, Margareta Å, Tomanin, Rosella, Bartolucci, Giovanni B, Osterman-Golkar, Siv M, Ehrenberg, Lars
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adducts
Adult
Air Pollutants, Occupational - analysis
Blood
Chemical hazards
Chromatids
Cigarette smoking
Environmental Monitoring
Ethylene Oxide - adverse effects
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Hemoglobins
Humans
Lymphocytes
Lymphocytes - cytology
Lymphocytes - drug effects
Metaphase
Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective - drug effects
Middle Aged
Occupational Exposure - adverse effects
Oxides
Referents
Sister Chromatid Exchange - drug effects
Smoking
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Summary:Ten sanitary workers exposed to concentrations of ethylene oxide below 1 ppm were studied to determine whether effects could be observed at low exposure levels. A significant increase in the number of sister chromatid exchanges in cultured lymphocytes was found only for five subjects with relatively high exposure in the sterilization area. However, it was not possible to separate clearly the effect of smoking from that of ethylene oxide exposure. No increase in the frequencies of micronuclei in lymphocytes and buccal cells was found. The level of 2-hydroxyethyl adducts to the N-terminal valines in hemoglobin responded in a reliable fashion to chronic ethylene oxide exposure and smoking. Furthermore, measurement of levels of 2-hydroxyethyl adducts to the N-terminal valines in hemoglobin made it possible to reconstruct the dynamics of a leakage of ethylene oxide which involved three workers.
ISSN:0355-3140
1795-990X
DOI:10.5271/sjweh.1733