Increased genetic damage found in waste picker women in a landfill in Paraguay measured by comet assay and the micronucleus test

Publication date: Available online 7 June 2018 Source:Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis Author(s): Deidamia Franco de Diana, Jaime Segovia Abreu, Diana Castiglioni Serafini, José Francisco Ortíz, María José Samaniego, Ana Carina Aranda, Enrique Zamorano-Ponce Cateura landfill located in Asunción-Paraguay is the site of final disposal of tons of garbage of all kinds coming from urban, industrial and commercial areas. Due to an inadequate waste management system, there is a big concern in our country on how it can affect people working within the landfill as waste pickers. When a high risk of exposure affecting workers in their work places is supposed, defining biomarkers of genotoxic damage is obligatory. The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic damage in occupationally exposed women in their work environments through two established biomarkers: the single-cell gel electrophoresis assay (SCGE) accomplished in peripheral blood and the micronucleus test performed in exfoliated cells from oral mucosa (BMCyT). This is an analytical observational cohort study involving 50 women occupationally exposed and 34 unexposed women. A statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in the parameters to measure genotoxicity was observed in the garbage recyclers of the landfill, compared to the control group. The frequency of Micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities such as karyolytic and karyorrhectic cells we...
Source: Mutation Research Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research