Monitoring genotoxic exposure in uranium miners

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.9399303· OSTI ID:6218566

Sram, R J; Binkova, B; Dobias, L; Roessner, P T; Topinka, J; Vesela, D; Vesely, D; Stejskalova, J; Bavorova, H; Rericha, V ^[1]

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1. Institute of Experimental Medicine, Prague (Czechoslovakia)

Recent data from deep uranium mines in Czechoslovakia indicated that in addition to radon daughter products, miners are also exposed to chemical mutagens. Mycotoxins were identified as a possible source of mutagenicity present in the mines. Various methods of biomonitoring were used to examine three groups of miners from different uranium mines. Cytogenetic analysis of peripheral lymphocytes, unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in lymphocytes, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in both plasma and lymphocytes were studied on 66 exposed miners and 56 controls. Throat swabs were taken from 116 miners and 78 controls. Significantly increased numbers of aberrant cells were found in all groups of miners, as well as decreased UDS values in lymphocytes and increased LPO plasma levels in comparison to controls. Molds were detected in throat swabs from 27% of miners, and 58% of these molds were embryotoxic. Only 5% of the control samples contained molds and none of them was embryotoxic. The following mycotoxins were isolated from miners' throat swab samples: rugulosin, sterigmatocystin, mycophenolic acid, brevianamid A, citreoviridin, citrinin, penicilic acid, and secalonic acid. These data suggest that mycotoxins are a genotoxic factor affecting uranium miners.

• OSTI ID: 6218566
• Journal Information: Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States), Vol. 99; ISSN 0091-6765
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
DNA
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
MINERS
MYCOSES
NEOPLASMS
URANIUM MINES
PERSONNEL MONITORING
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
FUNGI
LYMPHOCYTES
MUTAGENS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PLASMA
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISEASES
EUROPE
FUNGAL DISEASES
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
LEUKOCYTES
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
MINES
MONITORING
MUTATIONS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
PLANTS
PRIMATES
RADIATION MONITORING
SOMATIC CELLS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550700 - Microbiology
550300 - Cytology