engleski

Toxogenetic consequences after combined occupational exposure to ethylene oxide and formaldehyde

Evidence ragarding the genotoxic and carcinogenic potential of ethylene oxide (ETO) and formaldehyde (FA), although widely used in several kinds of industries and sterilization is still insufficient and sometimes in contradictory. The aim of our present study was to perform toxogenetic screening of genome damage caused by alternating exposure to ETO and FA using cytogenetic methods commonly accepted in biomonitoring, chromosome aberration assay, sister chromatid exchange frequencies, micronucleus assay and mitotic activity. We analysed a group of 12 female workers employed in hospital om sterilization facilities. The average employment duration was 4.2 years, ranging from 1 to 7 years. The control population matched the examinees by age, sex and smoking habits. When the doors of sterilization facilities were oper after completed operation, ETO concentrations were 2 ppm and FA concentrations were 2 ppm. The results obtained by cytogenetic methods, after combined exposure to ETO and FA, require an interpretation that takes into consideration alkylating activity of ETO and the additional cross-linking activity of FA. Our data point at the necessity to use more than one cytogenetic method for biomonitoring after such combined exposure.

ethylene oxide; formaldehyde; cytogenetic methods; human lymphocytes

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