Battery of monitoring tests for the detection of human population exposures to genotoxic chemicals
Environmental and occupational exposures of human populations to mutagenic chemicals have caused concern but have been difficult to document because rapid and sensitive techniques for assessing the effects of exposure have not been available. We are evaluating a battery of tests for the detection of exposure of human populations to known or suspected mutagens. Parallel laboratory studies using the same or analogous assays are being conducted with animals and are reported in an accompanying abstract. Exposed individuals are matched for age, sex and lifestyle factors with unexposed control individuals. Blood, urine and in males, semen are collected from both age groups simultaneously. The tests performed with these samples include cytogenetic analysis of lymphocytes for chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges, evaluation for DNA damage in lymphocytes by the alkaline elution technique, analysis of hemoglobin for alkylation, analysis of urine for excreted mutagens and analysis of semen for sperm count, abnormal morphology and Y chromosome non-disjunction. Our initial study is evaluating the effects of a formaldehyde exposure in a major hospital autopsy service. Environmental measurements show that individuals are exposed to transient levels of 1-5 ppm during certain activities with background levels of 0.1-0.5 ppm at other times. To date 19 exposed and 19 control subjects have been sampled a total of 101 times. The only difference indicated to date between exposed and control groups was an upward shift in the distribution of chromosome aberration rates for formaldehyde exposed subjects and alcohol consumers compared to non-drinkers.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
- OSTI ID:
- 5927365
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Mutagen Society; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Mutagen Society; (United States)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
FORMALDEHYDE
GENETIC EFFECTS
HEALTH HAZARDS
AUTOPSY
BLOOD
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
EVALUATION
HOSPITALS
LYMPHOCYTES
MUTAGEN SCREENING
MUTAGENS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
URINE
ALDEHYDES
ANIMAL CELLS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
BUILDINGS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
HAZARDS
LEUKOCYTES
MATERIALS
MEDICAL CENTERS
MUTATIONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SCREENING
SOMATIC CELLS
WASTES
560306* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)