engleski

Correlation of buccal micronucleus cytome assay parameters with arsenic and its species measured in urine from people in Eastern Croatia

Chronic high-exposure to arsenic (As) is associated with noncancerous and cancerous health effects (skin lesions, diabetes mellitus, degenerative effects on the circulatory system, neurotoxicity, cancer: liver, skin, bladder, kidneys, prostate and lungs). In Eastern Croatia, As geographically rich, As concentrations in official drinking water are still much higher than 10 µg/L (WHO, EU), with also wells massively used for gardening/drinking. As-species can be measured in the urine, but correlation with genetic damage and cancer risk demands time, invasive methods (e.g. blood) and cell culture. Since most of the cancers are of epithelial origin, buccal micronucleus cytome assay may be a potential new noninvasive biomarker of As- exposure and cancer risk before cancers development. We examined urine As- concentrations and As-species (organic: dimethylarsinic acid-DMA, monomethylarsonic acid-MA ; inorganic ; and the sum of cationic arsenic species) in 105 individuals using liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry-ICPMS and correlated the results with life style and drinking water habits, development of different diseases and parameters of buccal micronucleus cytome assay. The results demonstrated higher concentrations (mean±standard deviation, µg/L) of total As(33±33), DMA(18±13), MA(4.4±3.9) and inorganic As(4.1±3.3) ; higher frequency of micronucleated, binucleated and apoptotic cells ; with individual As concentrations above 100 µg/L, although the mean As value did not exceed the permitted levels. Matched control from Zagreb (continental part with uncontaminated drinking water) demonstrated low As concentrations in urine.

buccal micronucleus cytome assay ; arsenic ; ICPMS ; urine ; water drinking

Croatian-austrian bilateral program: Possible early noninvasive biomarkers of chronic exposure to arsenic