Possibilities for identifying genotoxic risks in the rubber industry: use of the urinary mutagenicity assay and sister chromatid exchange.
Two approaches have been used for biological monitoring of exposure to genotoxins in the rubber industry: (1) assay of mutagenic activity in urine with the bacterial fluctuation test; and (2) analysis of sister chromatid exchange frequencies in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Workers in the rubber industry have significantly more mutagenic activity in their urine than nonexposed controls. Mutagenic activity was tested with Escherichia coli WP2 uvrA as indicator bacteria was significantly higher in urine of workers after a normal work week than in urine samples from the same individuals after a holiday. The mean frequency of sister chromatid exchange in rubber workers who smoked was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) than that in unexposed smokers. The only job categories in which workers who smoked had statistically significantly higher mean frequencies than others were mixing and weighing. People in these jobs generally also had high mutagenic activity in their urine.
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009787:Occupational Medicine; D012306:Risk; D012408:Rubber; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange; D014556:Urine
D012408:Rubber