Chromosome Aberrations and Sister Chromatid Exchanges in Swedish Paint Industry Workers

• Published in: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health Vol. 6; no. 4; pp. 291 - 298
• Main Authors: Haglund, Ulla, Lundberg, Ingvar, Zech, Lore
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Finland Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health 01.12.1980; National Board of Occupational Safety and Health; The Working Environment Fund; Swedish Medical Society, Section for Environmental Health; Work Research Institutes; Institute of Occupational Health
• Subjects: Adult; Chlorides; Chromatids; Chromosome Aberrations; Chromosomes; Crossing Over, Genetic - drug effects; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Medicine; Paint - adverse effects; Paints; Referents; Sister Chromatid Exchange - drug effects; Smoking; Solvents; Solvents - adverse effects; Styrenes; Sweden; Toluene - adverse effects; Xylenes; Xylenes - adverse effects; Sweden; xylene; toluene; organic solvents
• ISSN: 0355-3140; 1795-990X
• DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.2606

Workers in the Swedish paint industry exposed to a mixture of organic solvents, mainly containing xylene or toluene, were investigated for genotoxic effects. No difference in the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), 0.192 and 0.193 per chromosome, respectively, was noted in the peripheral lymphocytes of the exposed group of 17 workers and their matched reference group. No correlation was found between xylene or toluene exposure and SCE frequency nor between total solvent exposure and SCE frequency. The frequency of chromosome aberrations was also investigated for the five most exposed workers and their matched referents, and no difference was found. There was no correlation between SCE and chromosome breaks.