Cytogenetic study of workers exposed to ethylene oxide: analysis of the chromosomal-aberration data and overall conclusions from the analyses of sister chromatid exchanges and chromosomal aberrations

Technical Report · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6072059

Meinhardt, T; Carrano, A; Moore, D; Ashworth, L; Marlow, D

A survey of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) incidence among workers occupationally exposed to ethylene oxide was conducted. The effects of smoking were also investigated. The cohort consisted of 44 workers in ethylene oxide production units and 27 workers in a quality assurance laboratory having exposure to ethylene oxide and other chemicals. Circulating lymphocytes were obtained from the subjects and assayed for SCEs. Personal ethylene oxide exposures were measured. Median exposures to ethylene-oxide were 0.19 to 1.0 part per million (ppm) in the production workers and 0.14 to 10.9 ppm in the laboratory workers. Cigarette smoking comparisons had a higher statistically significant incidence of SCEs than nonsmokers. Nonsmoking production workers had a marginally statistically significant elevation of SCEs compared to smoking comparisons. Cigarette smoking production workers had an insignificant excess incidence of SCEs. SCE incidence was statistically significantly increased in smoking and nonsmoking laboratory workers. The data suggests an additive relationship between the effect of cigarette smoking and employment in ethylene oxide production units. The effects of smoking and employment in the laboratory are less than additive.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6072059
• Report Number(s): PB-89-145510/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550300 -- Cytology
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
ANIMAL CELLS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CARCINOGENS
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
COLLOIDS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISPERSIONS
FUMIGANTS
GENETIC EFFECTS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INDUSTRY
INSPECTION
LEUKOCYTES
LYMPHOCYTES
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
MUTAGENS
MUTATIONS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PESTICIDES
RESIDUES
SISTER CHROMATID EXCHANGES
SMOKES
SOLS
SOMATIC CELLS
TOBACCO SMOKES
TOXICITY